Redemption
by StephODell
Summary: The future, some 60 years after WWII. How much has the world changed? Science has created ways for even the dead to live again...dead that should probably have stayed that way...
1. Chapter 1 Walking Dead

**Redemption**

**An FMA fanfic by Steph O'Dell and Zev**

**(She helped lots! w)**

Chapter 1—Wandering Dead 

December 17, 1923; Munich Post:

"Two months following the failed insurrection of Adolph Hitler, the country has been in an uproar. Many people are trying to flee the country, fearing a war. Many Nazi sympathizers are among the escapees. Many are caught at the border, but many others are able to slip out. An estimated total of 500 Nazi sympathizers have reportedly fled the country.

"In a chaotic border riot today, several people had been shot down by a Nazi sympathizer who had been held at the border pending an arrest.

"At the border between Switzerland and Western Germany, a man named Steinburg Rothenbach, opened fire upon the mass of people trying to cross the border on their way to see relatives during the holiday.

"Reportedly, among the casualties was several well known people…including…and Edward and Alphonse Elric, all of whom were involved in the putting down of the insurrection on November 8th."

--Translated from a German newspaper, dated December 17, 1923.

Doctor's Log, December 19, 1923; Doctor Heinz Whiecherland, Berlin General Hospital:

Time: 22:04 Hours

Patient(s): Elric, Edward and Elric, Alphonse (Brothers)

Blond hair; gold eyes/ Blond hair, brown eyes.

Diagnosis: Deceased; Shot wound; Colt .45

Notes: The brothers appeared to have been standing front-to-front. The bullet entered Edward Elric's back, travelled at a 45-degree angle, and passed through his body, and then through his brother, Alphonse's body, before exiting cleanly. Bullet never recovered. Murder weapon confirmed to be a Colt .45, recovered from shooter at the scene. Death would have been quick. The bullet pierced Edward's left lung, before exiting his body, and piercing Alphonse's right ventricle. Edward's COD was asphyxia caused by blood in the lungs, and Alphonse's COD was heart failure due to trauma. Both bodies are now in the morgue pending their claim. No funeral has been arranged.

--Translated from the notes of the coroner on-duty the night of Edward and Alphonse's autopsy.

"The bodies of Elric, Edward and Elric, Alphonse have been recovered. DNA is being stored on file for later use."

--A piece of a letter to the secret service in Germany from the head of the medical development. The rest of the letter is beyond salvaging.

_So…where am I now…?_

Edward stared at the light that seemed to get farther and farther away. He couldn't seem to get close to it. It just kept slipping back. The faster he ran, the faster it faded away from him.

_DAMNIT!_

Edward fell to his knees. He was beyond tired. It seemed pointless. He wasn't getting anywhere.

_The last thing…the last thing I remember is…_

The shooting.

_That's right. We died. Me and Alphonse are dead._

Edward looked at the light again, flickering far away, taunting him.

Edward gritted his teeth in rage. _Is this death? Is this it? Because it sucks. It really, really sucks._

Edward paused for a moment, his eyes searching the darkness. _So, then… where's Alphonse?_

Umi stared at the doctor, her eyes misted over with sadness.

The doctor cackled gleefully, the way he did when something went his way. He hobbled over to Umi, his left leg in a heavy metal brace due to an injury sustained many years ago. Now he walked with a stiff limp, his left leg nearly immobile.

"It's almost ready, my pet," the doctor cackled. "The bodies are almost ready. Perfect, aren't they?"

Umi stared up at the glass tubes that housed the bodies. She shuttered.

They were giant things, those tubes. Great tubes of tinted glass, with wires and tubes running into them. It was like something out of an old science fiction movie.

_But it's real,_ Umi thought in disgust.

Suspended in the liquid inside the tubes were the bodies of two teenage boys. Wires and tubes were hooked up to their lifeless bodies, giving them air and nutrients.

Umi touched the glass gingerly. They were alive, but they had no souls.

The doctor touched Umi's shoulder, causing her to jump into the air with a sharp shriek. The doctor cackled with glee.

"Dr. Lorca," Umi stuttered. "Don't do that. You frightened me so."

Dr. Damien Lorca cackled again, his eyes gleaming eerily in the low light. "Umi…do you know why you're here?"

Umi looked at her toes. "No, sir," she whispered. But she was lying. She knew. She knew all too well why she was there.

"You are here," Dr. Lorca continued. "To put the souls of those two boys into their new bodies. You are the only one who can, my dear."

Umi shuttered. _But I don't want to…_

Dr. Lorca grabbed Umi tightly, and shoved his face into Umi's, his breath brushed her cheeks.

"You can bring the Elric brothers back, Umi. And you will. Because if you don't…" Dr. Lorca didn't finish.

Umi swallowed hard. She knew the doctor didn't need to finish his threat. He meant every word. Ever since Umi had arrived at the facility 18 years ago, she had lived in fear. She never knew a life outside the dark underground lab. The doctor was her caregiver and personal warden.

Umi put her hands against the glass of the tubes again, and began to sing in a clear, high voice.

_Me-e-e jee naowai yehey kats... keivaa...  
Me-e-e jee naowai yehey kats... keivaa..._

Keivaa... keivaa...  
Keivaa... keivaa...  
Keivaa...

Me-e-e jee naowai yehey kats... keivaa...  
Me-e-e jee naowai yehey kats... keivaa...

Keivaa... keivaa...  
Keivaa... keivaa...  
Keivaa...

The sweet melody seemed to form threads in the air. Like vapour trails, the words drew the wandering souls towards the slumbering vessels. The song led them to their destination.

Umi was the Pied Piper, leading the children.

The reaction was slightly delayed, but was apparent. Both boy snapped awake, terrified by their surroundings, and began to panic.

The doctor quickly drained the liquid in the tubes, and the boys were slowly lowered to the floors of their chambers. Gasping for breath, they tore their masks off, and threw them against the glass.

Umi stared, horrified. _What have I done?…_

Edward was the first to begin interacting with his surroundings. He pushed his hands against the glass, becoming aware of the fact he was trapped, in a giant glass cylinder, and completely nude. Blushing, and gritting his teeth, Edward began to pound on the glass, screaming.

"Hey! HEY! What the heck is going on here?!" Edward pounded away, getting angrier and angrier. "ANSWER ME!!"

Umi backed up, terrified. She stared at Edward, tears gathering at the edges of her eyes. The doctor put a hand on her shoulder and smiled darkly.

"You have done well, Umi."

Umi felt a weight come to rest on her shoulders. The realization of the sin she had committed was crushing her. She fell to her knees, sobbing.

Edward glared at the doctor, his eyes smouldering in rage. His fingers clawed at the glass holding him prisoner.

"Where am I? What's going on?" Edward was clearly agitated. He stared at the doctor, until his gaze came to rest on his right hand. He stared in shock, and his gaze travelled up his arm. He began to feel it, testing that it was real. He checked his left leg, and it, too, was real.

He was whole again.

"M-My arm…" he whispered, confused. "My leg…what…what's going on here?"

The doctor cackled again. "You, my dear boy, have been reborn. Reborn anew, ready to live the rest of whatever life you had left."

Edward's brow wrinkled in confusion. "I-I don't understand. I…I was dead. I got shot. I REMEMBER that."

The doctor waved Edward's comment off like an insect. "You WERE dead. You WERE shot. That was in the 20's. This, my boy, is the year 2007. And science has re-built you. Better, faster, and stronger than you ever were."

Edward digested the words the doctor had said. _Reborn…?_ Edward glanced down at Umi sobbing on the floor. There was a flicker of something, like he knew her from somewhere, but it was a distant feeling, like a long-forgotten memory. The feeling faded quickly.

Alphonse banged on the glass as well, panicking. "Brother! What's going on?"

Edward glanced over, and was relieved to se Alphonse was alive and well also.

"I don't know what's going on, Al, but…I don't like it at all." Edward growled at the doctor. "What do you mean by that? Reborn? Reborn how! Life only flows in one direction!"

The doctor chuckled. "In the year 1996, scientists preformed the first cloning experiment on a sheep called Dolly. It was a complete success. Since then, science has progressed in that particular field by leaps and bounds. Using DNA, salvaged from 84 years ago, we have managed to successfully clone your bodies. With a few slight altercations, of course."

Edward stared at the doctor in horror. The very idea of creating a human by way of science was beyond Edward's grasp of the normal. Or plausible, for that matter. Alchemy had taught him that life was not to be tampered with, that bringing back the dead was not right. And here, science had done just that.

Edward fell against the side of the tube, mentally overloaded. It was too much for him. He stared off into space, his eyes glazed over in confusion.

Alphonse recovered quicker than Edward. "And…and how did you put our…souls in these bodies?" he asked in a low voice.

The doctor smiled. "That was dear, sweet little Umi's doing. She has a unique ability to channel the spirits of the dead. You two just happened to be in limbo--neither here among the living, nor there among the other dead. The trauma of your death would not allow you to move on. Umi was able to guide your souls into these new bodies." He patted Umi's head, and while it seemed to be an affectionate gesture, there was no love behind it. The gesture was cold and hollow. Umi stared up at the doctor with a look of fear.

Edward finally came around. He shook his head, clearing away his thoughts. "Okay, so you brought us back. Why? We don't even know what year it is, or where we are. How are we going to help you?"

Dr. Lorca cackled again. "As I've said, Edward, it is the year 2007. And this little building is located somewhere in Russia. And as for why we brought you back…we need you to work for us. You know things we need to know."

Edward pounded on the glass, enraged. "Screw you! Take your head, and stuff it up your ass! No way! I'd never help you! Never!"

Alphonse looked worried. "But…alchemy doesn't work here, does it? What else could we possibly know?"

The doctor chuckled. "Leave that for now. You WILL work for us, so don't say you won't. You won't have a choice. But, for now, you need some rest. Can't have you wearing out those new bodies now, can we?" The doctor pressed a button, and gas filled the tubes.

Edward and Alphonse coughed, and promptly passed out.

The doctor smirked, and a couple of guards entered the room. One took Umi gently by the arm, and led her out of the room.

"Come with me, Miss. It's time for you to return to your room." The man sounded gruff, but he tried to be gentle with Umi. Umi was used to such treatment, but looked sadly over her shoulder at the lifeless bodies of Alphonse and Edward.

"Take these boys to their rooms. Secure them, and clothe them for God's sakes. And feed them too, I suppose. I'll deal with them shortly. I have a phone call to make." With those words, the doctor waved off the guards, who carried the lifeless boys to separate rooms elsewhere in the building.

Edward awoke later that day to the light filtering through a barred window on the far side of the room. He blinked, and groggily looked around.

The room he was in was no better than a cell. It had a small bed, which was bolted to the floor, and a door was in the wall across the room from the bed. Twisting his neck, Edward saw a small metal grate above his bed. He wondered what it was.

It was at this point Edward realized he was clothed in plain white clothes—a shirt and a pair of slacks—but no shoes. He grumbled, and noted the strong wrist cuff that chained him to the bed frame.

"Friendly people, these scientists…" Edward muttered bitterly. "Never liked science…now I know why."

A soft knock on the door made Edward look up. He glared at the door for a moment before saying, "Come in."

Umi shyly opened the door, and poked her head in. Edward relaxed.

"Are-are you comfortable?" Umi asked quietly. She entered the room, a tray of food in her hands. She closed the door, and set the tray on the bed in front of Edward. Edward grabbed the fork and began shovelling food in his mouth using his free hand.

Umi gazed at Edward, a faint blush staining her cheeks rosy. She had a small smile on her lips. Edward paused and looked at her curiously.

"What? What is it? Something on my face?" he asked.

Umi blushed furiously, and turned away, embarrassed. "Oh, no…it's just…"

Edward put down his fork, and picked up the mug of coffee on his tray. "So…you put me in this body, huh? How'd you do that?"

Umi glanced at Edward shyly. "I-I-I…don't really know…I sing…and the spirits follow my voice. I've always been able to do it."

Edward stared at Umi curiously. "Sounds fishy…" He shrugged and set his cup down. "But…whatever. Anyway…that guy…is he…is he your father?"

Umi shook her head. "No, I don't believe so. I've lived here for as long as I can remember. The doctor…Dr. Lorca…he was always making me do experiments…he wanted to know how my power worked." Umi tilted her head. "Then one day he got a letter from a group in Germany. They told him they'd recovered lost DNA from the Elric brothers. Dr. Lorca got all excited, but neither the German science community nor the government would let him perform the procedure in Germany. He finally got an offer from Russia to let him work here. So he moved everything. I was blindfolded for the whole trip, so I don't remember much."

Edward stared at Umi in amazement. "How can you let him treat you like that?"

Umi shrugged half-heartedly. "I-I'm too scared to do anything. I've tried escaping before. It was hopeless. I can't seem to find a way out." Umi sighed sadly. "I gave up after a while. Now they let me wander freely. I do chores and cook, and that kind of thing. I'm rarely bored."

Edward gently took hold of Umi's hand. She blushed, and looked surprised. Edward looked deep into Umi's eyes.

"Umi…you need to get out. And so do I. I have to get information about what's going on here. And I need your help. If we work together, we can do it." Edward's eyes were bright.

Umi looked at the door nervously. "I…I don't know. What if…?"

A bang on the door sounded, and Umi jumped. "I-I have to go. I need to feed Alphonse now." She took the tray back from Edward. "He's in the room next to you. I think you can talk to him through the grate." Umi walked to the door, and opened it.

"Take care…Edward Elric…" Umi said softly as she left.

Edward looked at the door as it closed. _That girl…_

Edward waited for a bit before trying to talk to Alphonse through the grate above his bed. Standing on his knees, with his wrist painfully being yanked on by the short chain attached to his bed frame, Edward hissed through the grate.

"Psst! Al! Al, are you there?" Edward said quietly.

Sure enough, Alphonse responded almost immediately. "Brother!"

Edward couldn't see Alphonse, but the sound of his voice was enough. Edward felt relief. "Are you okay in there, Al?"

"Yes, Brother. They didn't hurt me. Umi fed me a while ago. She told me what's happening. Brother, I'm worried." Alphonse's voice was concerned.

"Me too, Al. I'm going to find a way to bust out of here, so don't worry. Something will happen, I'm sure." Edward tried to sound confident.

A few hundred meters from the main wall of the facility, a man stood, watching the building through a pair of binoculars. He put them down after a while, and rubbed his cheeks to warm them.

"Man…it's cold. Russia in spring should be warmer than this," the man complained.

"It's not quite spring yet, sir," a woman said, coming up behind him. He turned to see her, smiled, and turned around again.

"Katharine," the man said. "How many times must I tell you not to call me sir?"

Katharine cleared her throat. "Brystan…sir…we're on-duty right now. I can't be formal."

Brystan smiled. "Lighten up a little, Katharine. It takes the edge off."

Katharine frowned. "Yes, sir. Anyway, the men are in position. They're waiting for your signal."

Brystan smirked. He turned on his wire, and prepared to give the signal. "On my mark, gentlemen…MARK!"

Edward leaned against the wall, trying to drift into sleep. He thought he could faintly here the sound of gunfire off in the distance, but he wondered if it was just his imagination.

Shouts began to fill the hall, and Edward became interested. He listened silently for a moment. He heard some words in a language he didn't understand. Then something came through that he understood clearly.

"We're being attacked! Fire! Fire!"

Shots rang out, and Edward heard the sound of mortar rounds being fire. He cursed loudly, and banged on the wall.

"AL! Get under your bed! Do it now!"

"Why, Brother? What's going on?" Alphonse sounded nervous and confused.

"Do it, Al. I think this place is being attacked." Edward rolled off the bed, and scooted as far under it as the chain would allow.

There was a moment of quieted fighting for a moment, and then a loud explosion. A round went off against the wall of the cell. The wall shattered, and Edward threw up his arm to protect himself from the debris.

When he looked up, the wall had an enormous hole in it. Most of the wall separating Edward and Alphonse had given way as well. They looked at each other through the hole.

"Brother…are you okay?" Alphonse asked, his face white with fear.

"Yeah…what could do that much damage I wonder?" Edward mused angrily. "This is getting out of hand."

Suddenly, the walls shook, and the ceiling groaned. Edward looked up, terrified. He knew that sound.

"Al! The ceiling's collapsing! Get down!" Edward yanked as hard as he could on the chain, and squeezed his eyes shut.

A huge chunk of concrete landed on the bed frame, and crushed the chain so much it snapped. Edward took advantage of this, and rolled all the way under the bed.

Alphonse was also able to snap his chain as well, and the two bunkered down under the beds as the roof collapsed.

Umi had been running through the hall when the commotion started. She glanced around her, confused and scared.

Through the haze and commotion, a man grabbed her by the arm. Umi turned and saw the man was dressed in a military uniform. He was not rough with her, but held her arm gently, but firmly.

"Miss Umi, I presume?" the man asked, his voice calm and soothing.

Umi blinked. "Y-yes…my name is Umi. Who are you?"

The man winked. "I'm Agent Williams Hess. I'm here to bring you home, Miss." William ran a hand through his short, auburn hair, and grinned.

Umi looked puzzled. "What? Take me…home?"

Brystan and Katharine came up behind William. "You found the subject?"

"Yes sir," William said. "She's fine, sir. Not injured."

"Then get her out of here," Brystan said. "We have orders to take this place down."

Umi panicked, and grabbed Brystan's arm. "No!" she cried. "Not without them! I can't leave without them!"

Brystan was puzzled. "Who? Without who?"

"The Elrics! I can't leave without them." Umi looked at them with pleading eyes.

"Where are they?" Katharine asked, hanging her rifle over her shoulder.

"I'll show you…just promise me you'll take them with us." Umi pulled at William's arm.

A moment later, the shock of the shell hitting the building shook the entire complex, and Umi screamed. William pulled her to the ground, and covered her.

"A stray shell…" Brystan sounded upset. "That wasn't very professional. Damage report?"

Katharine listened to the headset for a moment. "No one wounded, sir. Structural damage to the east side of the building. Apparently, it was near an above ground set of storage rooms."

Umi gasped. "That's were they are! Hurry!"

The group moved quickly towards the storage rooms. The door was half-open, having been blown open during the blast. Brystan cleared the door away, and began sifting quickly through the rubble.

"I'm gonna need a hand," he said.

Everyone began helping, clearing the rubble away. Finally, Brystan moved a piece of concrete.

"I found someone!" he called.

Edward could faintly here the sounds of digging. _There are people trying to get me out of here…_ he thought. _Is it…is it Umi? Is it you?_

A piece of rubble was lifted, and Edward could see out into the room. He blinked a few times, his head reeling. Through the blur, Edward was positive he saw someone he knew.

_Roy…?_ Edward thought.

"R…oy?…General…Mustang?" Edward weakly asked before fading into unconsciousness.

Edward slowly opened his eyes, and squinted against the bright lights. He looked around slowly, still disorientated.

He was laying in a hospital bed, with tubes and wires stuck to him, and in him. He realized he was bandaged, and his head hurt when he tried to lift it.

"Ugg…ow, my head hurts," he groaned, holding it gently in one hand. He slowly looked over at Alphonse, sleeping peacefully in the bed beside him.

Edward smiled softly at Alphonse, and then looked at the ceiling again. He could hear the soft beeps of machines, the voices of orderlies and doctors, the clanking of dollies getting wheeled down the halls, and the dripping of the IV's. Alphonse's gentle breathing was a soothing sound amidst the harsh sounds outside.

Edward sighed, and slowly felt his face falling into a frown. He was already bored to tears.

"I can't sit still…it's driving me NUTS…" he muttered, sitting up. His head reeled, but Edward clutched his head and beared it. He reached for the needle in his hand to yank it out…

"Hey! Whoa! Careful kid! That's not a smart move," a nurse yelled at Edward, and ran over to him. She took his hand away from the needle, and laid him back down on the bed. "That needle is your IV. Can't have you removing that."

Edward scowled at the nurse. _Nuts…_

"Good thing I came in here to check on you," the nurse said cheerfully, busying herself by straightening sheets, and fiddling with the IV and other machines. That would have been bad, if you'd gone and pulled your needle out."

Edward groaned. "Where am I?"

The nurse smiled at Edward. "This is Walter Reed Army Medical Centre, in Washington D.C. You have nothing to worry about here, Mr. Elric."

Edward blinked. "Washington…D.C.? What?"

The nurse looked at Edward, surprised. "Washington D.C. …The capital of America. Remember?"

Edward tried to look like he knew what she was talking about. "Ahh…right…America." He laughed. "Silly me."

The nurse smiled. "It's probably your concussion that's making it hard to remember things. Just relax, and take it easy for a while."

Edward rubbed his sore head. _Concussion? Oh great…_

The nurse finished up. She turned to Edward. "See this little button here?" she asked, pointing to a button on the wall beside Edward.

"Edward saw it. "Yes. What about it?"

"That's a call button," the nurse explained. "If you need something, just push it, and someone will come and take care of it for you."

Edward blinked. "Anything? Anything at all?"

The nurse blinked, and then laughed. "Well, things like food, or if you need a blanket, or you hurt yourself. Things like that."

Edward grinned evilly to himself. _Oh how I'm gonna abuse this…_

The nurse left, and Edward began laughing evilly under his breath. His finger inched towards the button on the wall.

"Keh keh keh…time for some service…" Edward murmured maliciously.

But just as his finger was about to press it in, someone walked through the door.

"Hey! Good! You're up!" the man said brightly.

Edward turned, and stared.

"G-General?!" he shrieked. "What are you doing here?"

The man blinked several times. "General?" He laughed. "No, no. I'm a Federal Agent. My name's Brystan Cabanot. You are Edward Elric, I presume?"

Edward blinked. "Yeah, that's me…but…you look just like him. Like Roy Mustang."

Brystan blinked a few more times. "I'm sorry, I've…never heard of him."

Edward studied Brystan carefully. Brystan _looked_ like Roy, all right, but…Brystan's eyes were warmer. The sparkled with mirth, and he was constantly smiling. His whole face seemed more inviting than Roy's. And, to top it all off, Brystan had a dark freckle under his right eye. The more Edward looked at Brystan, the more he could tell this wasn't Roy. He sighed sadly.

"Sorry…no, you're right. You aren't Roy. You're too nice to be Roy."

Brystan laughed. "That's alright. They say everyone has a twin." He smiled warmly. "Maybe mine just happens to be your General Mustang."

Edward rubbed his neck. "Yeah…maybe. I didn't like him very much."

Brystan sat on the chair beside Edward's bed. "I heard you tried to take off earlier."

Edward grumbled. "I hate hospitals…"

Brystan smiled. "You'll get used to it. We're doing everything we can to get you out of here." The man rubbed his neck. "It's been a long few days…"

Edward looked at Brystan without any emotion. He humphed, and put his chin on his hand.

"So…what exactly do you do, anyway?"

"Me?" Brystan replied, surprised. "I work for the Government. The CIA are members of a special network set up to maintain peace in America. We're a very specialized unit."

Edward blinked. "Government? Secret Network? You guys sound like spies."

"Some of us are," Brystan said, shrugging.

Edward stared at Brystan. "Why are you telling me this anyway? Won't you get in trouble?"

Brystan laughed. "Maybe a little," he replied. "But I think you ought to know the truth. All I know about you two is what Umi has told me."

"Umi…how is she?" Edward asked, his tone softening.

"She's fine…she wasn't hurt. We were actually in Russia to retrieve her." Brystan scratched his head. "Dr. Lorca was a very thorough man, always covering his tracks…but he managed to slip up recently. It was in his transfer to Russia. He was so rushed, he missed a few transfer slips. We were able to track him down from there."

Edward blinked in astonishment. "How long have you been after that guy?"

"Eighteen years. Umi was kidnapped as an infant. Her father hired us to get her back, but we never succeeded. Until now." Brystan looked sad suddenly. "He's a very high-profile man. We tried everything to find her, but he never once let us stop."

Edward stared at his fingers. "No wonder she looked so lonely…"

Brystan's brow wrinkled. "It was an odd case…the infant daughter of a business tycoon suddenly gets kidnapped. No ransom, no notes, no clues. It was eerie."

Edward said nothing. _Where her talents apparent even at that age? Or did they already know something…?_

Brystan patted Edward on the shoulder. "Once we get some ID on you both, you'll be going home too. I promise."

Edward looked puzzled. "What did she tell you about us?"

Brystan looked surprised again. "Oh? Well, she said that you two were kidnapped as well. And that you'd arrived a few days before."

Edward said nothing again. _She lied for us…why?_

Umi appeared in the doorway at that moment. Edward's eyes met hers, and Umi looked away, blushing.

"Umi," Brystan got up, and walked over to the shy girl. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she said quietly. "I was a little hungry, but…I wanted to see how Edward was doing."

Edward waved at her, pasting a fake smile on. "Hey! Come on in! Brystan was just telling me about you. You're a lucky girl, to be going home."

Umi sat down beside Edward on the bed, and Brystan took the chair again, sitting in it backwards, so the back faced the bed. He braced his arms on the chair back, smiling.

"Yes…to see my father finally…after all this time…" the girl's eyes were edged with tears. "I'm…so happy…"

Edward gathered her in a hug. "Don't cry. It's okay. It'll be fine, I promise."

Umi sniffed. "Really?"

Edward looked at Brystan. "I…need to tell you some stuff. But I don't want it to leave this room. Understand? Me, you, Umi and Al. That's it."

Brystan blinked. "Of course." He got up, and shut the door before sitting down again, his face serious. It looked a lot like Roy's serious face, and Edward grimaced.

"I…me and Al…we're not from here," he began. "We're from a place called Amstris. Our parents are both dead. We have no living relatives." Edward's face felt as if it was made of stone; it seemed so heavy. His eyes stung, but he held back his tears.

Brystan seemed shocked. "I-I've never heard of Amstris. Where is it?"

Edward was quiet for a moment.

"Through the gate…another world…"

Brystan stared at Edward, struck. "Another…world?"

Edward nodded.

"Amstris…is a world where alchemy is the way of life. It is greater than science. Alchemists are in high order. The world is ruled by the Military. Alchemist that worked for the Military were State Alchemists…dogs of the Military, they called us." Edward swallowed. "Me and my brother…we committed a sin. We tried to revive our dead mother, and paid the price for it."

Brystan put his hand over his mouth, but said nothing.

"Alphonse lost his body, and I traded my arm to bind it to a suit of armour. I'd lost my leg already. I had mechanical ones—automail—made to replace them. Then we went in search of the Philosopher's Stone. We knew it was the only thing that would return our bodies.

"But as we looked, we met all kinds of obstacles. Eventually, Alphonse sacrificed himself to give me my body back, and I did the same. I ended up here, in the real world. On the other side of the Gate." Edward sighed. "That was in 1920. That was when I got here.

"In 1923, I got mixed up in a group called the Thule Society. They were trying to open a gate to Amstris. I followed them, and managed to seal the gate, with the General's help. Alphonse," he paused, looking whimsically at his brother. "Alphonse followed me, the cheeky brat. So we got stuck on this side of the gate, with no way home.

"Eventually, war was threatening to break out. A group of rebels were organizing an escape of refugees. They were going to send them to America, where they believed they'd be safe.

"But the Nazis caught wind of the plan, and someone opened fire during the escape. Alphonse and I were shot. It all happened so fast, I…don't really remember it all."

Umi put her hand on Edward's. "It's all right, Edward. I'll finish."

Edward looked at Umi, then nodded, tired.

Umi spoke softly. "The Nazis kept the Elric's DNA on file, hoping to use it later. However, after the end of the war, the DNA was lost. However, a few years ago, someone got a hold of the DNA, and informed Dr. Lorca about it. He immediately began reconstructing clones of the brothers. He'd been informed that they held a key to something the Russians had been working on.

"Dr. Lorca finished the clones, and declared them perfect. However, they had no soul, and were therefore useless. He…exploited my talents, and I was forced to place their souls back into these new bodies."

Brystan fell back in his chair, flabbergasted. He slumped against the wall, in total disbelief.

"You…you're a clone?" he whispered.

"Apparently…" Edward muttered unhappily.

"How…why…but…" Brystan stumbled for an answer. He looked at Edward, who shrugged.

"Don't ask me," he said irritably. "I don't want to be here. But now that I am…" he trailed off.

Brystan rubbed his temples. "What am I supposed to do with you?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't know. Give us some clothes, and we'll take care of ourselves. We always have."

Brystan shook his head, his face set in a serious look. He grabbed Edward by the shoulders.

"No. No, no. Absolutely not. I'll…arrange something. I don't want you two going ANYWHERE, understand? Now, stay here, rest up, and get better. We're going to fly Umi home to her father after you've recovered." Brystan stood up and left the room, pulling out his cellphone.

Umi sighed. "I think he's taken a liking to you," she said softly, giggling a little.

Edward blushed. "No way! Not cool!"

Umi laid a hand softly on Edward's shoulder. "He'll be okay. I think you should trust him. He seems like a good person."

Edward sighed. "I know…but he looks like Roy…that bugs the crap out of me."

Umi giggled behind her hand.

Edward blushed a little again, and Umi stopped. Her eyes were wide, and she turned away quickly.

"A-anyway," she went on. "Your things were being kept in the facility as well. The clothes are ruined, but the other things are still okay." Umi stood up, and retrieved a box that was under the bed. "I brought these with me, before we left."

Edward took the lid of the box, and stared in amazement. Inside were his and Alphonse's clothes, as well as their wallets…and Edward's watch.

"Wow…I don't believe it…" Edward murmured. They look…pretty good, for being about 80 years old…" He picked up the clothes, which disintegrated as he lifted them. "Oops…"

"Moths and other organisms can do a number on cloth. It almost never preserves well." Umi smiled sadly. "I think it's all there."

Edward carefully took his wallet out of the box. The leather had dried, and cracked as he opened it. He carefully removed its contents. Some francs, and some change, and a couple of faded photos. One was of Alphonse and Edward, when they were still children. And the other was a group photo of the Eastern Command staff. All the faces he knew where in it.

He traced several faces with his finger. "It's so strange…it feels like yesterday…"

Umi looked at the picture and smiled. "You were so young in this photo," she said. She touched the younger Edward in the picture, tracing his face.

"I was 15 in this picture," Edward explained fondly. I had been a State Alchemist for some time. Hughes…" Edward pointed at a tall man standing beside Roy. "…He said he wanted to give us all photos…for posterity."

Umi smiled. "He looks like a nice man."

Edward's face fell. "He was…he was killed shortly after this was taken."

Umi cupped her hand over her mouth again. "I'm…sorry."

Edward shook his head. "That's in the past. I don't look back."

Edward pointed out all the people in the picture, telling Umi their names, and a little about them. He didn't even notice Brystan had returned, meanwhile, and was gazing at Edward with a whimsical expression as he leaned against the doorframe

"…And this one's 1st Lieutenant Hawkeye," Edward was saying. "We called her Scary Hawkeye. She was always so serious looking, and she used to scare us all." Edward laughed. "She potty-trained Black Hayate by SHOOTING at him!"

"Goodness!" Umi said. "That poor dog!" She laughed in spite of herself.

Brystan snatched the picture out of Edward's hands. "So…which one's this Roy fellow?"

"Give me that!!" Edward roared, trying to get his photo back. "Give it here! Hey!"

"Is that you?" Brystan commented, laughing. "You were awfully small!"

"SHUT UP!" Edward howled. "STOP CALLING ME A BEANSPROUT MIDGET!!"

Some of the nurses looked in questioningly at the noise, Brystan smothered Edward's face with a pillow.

"Hush you…you're too loud. This is a hospital, remember?" Brystan chuckled. But his eyes fell onto Roy, and he stopped.

"This…this can't be…" he gasped. "He…looks just like me!"

Edward screamed muffled complaints into the pillow. Brystan hastily pulled it away from his face.

"Sorry, Edward. I guess I kind of forgot about you…"

Edward seethed. "GRAHH! You could have KILLED ME!" he yelled.

Brystan sat down. "This man…is identical to me…"

Edward sighed. "Now you know why I was confused."

Brystan blinked. "I know ALL the people in this picture."

"WHA-at?!" Edward shrieked, confused. "How…how can that be?!"

Brystan pointed to Riza. "That girl. That's Katharine Thompson. She's my best field agent, and a crack shot." He pointed to Havoc. "And that's William Hess. He's a dynamite search-and-rescue operative."

"Of course," Umi said. "I saw them when you rescued me. I didn't notice that until now. But you're right. They DO look the same."

Edward felt a shiver go up his back. _Oh my God…it's Alphonse all over again…_

Alphonse sat up in bed. "Brother…" he asked sleepily. "What's going on?"

"Al…uhh…" Edward looked worried. "How you feeling? You okay?"

Alphonse nodded. "Yeah, I'm not sore or anything…"

_Lucky…_ Edward thought angrily.

Alphonse looked at Brystan. "Gen-General Mustang?"

Brystan stopped Alphonse from saluting. "No, no. My name's Brystan, Alphonse. It's nice to meet you."

Alphonse blinked. "Oh…uhh…sorry, sir. It's just…"

Brystan smiled, and pointed to the photo. "I can see."

Alphonse looked embarrassed. "You can call me Al if you like, sir," he said shyly.

Brystan and Alphonse shook hands. "Hello, Al…it's nice to meet you."

Edward snatched his picture back. "Careful with that thing. It's 80 years old. Probably more. And it's the only one I have."

Brystan put up his hands. "Okay, okay!" He laughed.

Alphonse shot Edward a look. "Brother, don't be rude!"

Edward stuck out his tongue at Alphonse. "Nyaa! So what? I can if I want to!"

Alphonse growled a little. "Brother!"

Brystan sat down, laughing. He wiped away tears.

"What's so funny?" Edward snapped.

Brystan waved his hand. "Oh, sorry. I…I just find you two refreshing."

Alphonse wrinkled his brow. "How so?"

Brystan went serious. "I have no children of my own, you see. I just think that it'd be interesting taking care of kids like you. You'll be a handful."

Edward twitched. "Kid?! I'm 18! How's that still being a kid?!"

Brystan sighed, smiling. "Yeup, a handful."

Umi stood up, smoothing out her skirt. "I'd best be getting off to sleep. It's awful late."

Brystan looked at the clock. "Oh gosh, you're right. It's almost 8 o'clock! I'll take you to the hotel."

Edward blinked at Brystan. "Leaving? So soon? The fun was just starting."

Brystan waved as he left. "Yeup. Busy day tomorrow. You two are gonna be released tomorrow, so rest up." And with that, the door closed, and Brystan and Umi were gone.

Edward stared at the door. "What the heck was that all about?"

True to Brystan's word, the next day Edward and Alphonse were released from the hospital. Edward stared at the clothes he'd been given and sighed.

_These clothes are weird…_ he thought. _They don't fit me very well either._

Brystan looked at Edward and Alphonse as they studied their clothes. "Those are temporary," he said. "We're actually going clothing shopping. Right now, in fact. So hurry up and let's go."

Alphonse laughed happily, and followed Brystan. Edward sighed, and slowly trudged after the two.

Umi was waiting outside, blushing a little. She offered her hand to Edward, who took it, blushing slightly as well.

"You…may not be ready for what's outside…" she said softly.

And Umi was right.

Edward and Alphonse gaped in amazement at all the traffic, and the tall buildings made of glass and concrete. It was nothing like what they knew.

"So…many vehicles…" Edward gasped. "They're…everywhere."

"And the buildings…" Alphonse added, craning his neck to see them. "They're so tall! And shiny!"

"Welcome to the new Millennia," Brystan said. "Where everything is bigger and better. Well, at least that's what they TELL us."

Edward groaned. "Don't tell me…we're gonna get lost out here, right?"

"Or run over," Brystan joked.

"Brother, I think we should, uh…Brother?" Alphonse looked at his brother in horror. "What are you doing?"

Edward walked over to Brystan, and patted him on the chest. "Brystan, ol' buddy ol' pal…so, where about are we going, anyway?"

Brystan gave Edward a look, but answered the question. "I was going to take you to a clothing shop on Main Street. You two need some clothes, right?"

"Right…" Edward said. "And we'll need to get there…how again?"

"Main Street is a few blocks in that direction," Brystan said, pointing. "I was planning on walking over there—"

"OKAY THANK YOU BYE!" Edward yelled, grabbing Umi in one hand and Alphonse in the other. He leapt onto the hood of a car, and car hopped across the street. Cars honked their horns noisily, and people yelled at the kids as they crossed, but Edward ignored them, and made it to the other side. He grinned at Brystan, and waved.

"We'll go on ahead! Don't wait up!" Edward sneered, and dragged the others off in the direction Brystan had pointed.

Brystan felt his cool fading. This kid got under his skin like a splinter. He wondered if this was how Roy felt dealing with Edward.

"Edward!" Brystan yelled. "Get back here!" Brystan knew it was pointless, but he yelled anyway. He sighed, and patted his chest. Suddenly, he realized something.

"EDWARD! BRING BACK MY WALLET!"

"Keh keh keh," Edward laughed evilly as he tossed Brystan's wallet up in the air and caught it. "So sad…"

"You horrible person!" Alphonse cried. "Brother! How could you? That was wrong! What if he needed that? You should go back, and return it to him ri—!"

"Relax, Al!" Edward laughed, cutting his brother off. "He was going to pay for it all anyway, wasn't he? We'll just pay him back later! Besides," Edward continued, smiling. "He's no fun anyway."

"You don't like him because he looks like Roy," Alphonse muttered darkly under his breath.

Edward punched Alphonse in the shoulder. "Did you say something?"

"Nope!" Alphonse squeaked.

"I didn't think so," Edward replied, his face mean.

Umi sighed. "Edward…"

Edward walked ahead of the group, looking up in awe at the shops. Umi snagged Edward by his shirt, and drug him into a clothing shop he'd passed inadvertently.

"I think this is the one," she said. "So get in here."

"Yipe!" yelled Edward "Hey! What's the big idea?!"

The boys stood, looking around the store in amazement. "What…an odd assortment of clothes…" Alphonse whispered.

Edward picked up a small black skirt. "What's this? A belt?"

Umi blushed, and looked embarrassed. "It's called a miniskirt. They expect girls to wear them."

Edward put the skirt down hastily. He looked around the store, a little confused.

"I'll say this much…your style hasn't evolved all that well." Edward sighed. "Let's get some clothes, and get out."

Umi sighed. "I don't wear a lot of designer clothes myself…"

Alphonse was in another section, looking at pants. "Brother…look at these." He showed Edward a pair of jeans.

Edward laughed. "I'd never be able to walk in those."

Alphonse laughed as well. "I'd feel so demasculinated…"

Umi looked embarrassed again. "That's because those are women's jeans."

The boys put the jeans down hastily.

Edward sighed, and scratched his neck. His gaze suddenly fell on a pair of pants he liked. Grinning evilly, Edward scooped them up.

"I think I found something," he said to Umi.

Umi pointed out the change room, and Edward hurriedly tried them on, as well as a shirt and a pair of boots he scooped along the way. Finally, he stepped out.

"Well, how do I look?" he asked.

Umi and Alphonse stared at Edward.

Edward was dressed in a tight pair of black plether pants, with chains hooked into the sides that dangled down the leg. His shirt was a tight black muscle shirt that showed off his midriff. And the boots were chunky Goth boots that came up to his knees.

"So…?" he asked.

Alphonse looked a little embarrassed. "You can't stay away from black, shiny pants, can you?"

Edward stuck out his tongue. "You're just mad because I make this look good."

"You certainly know how to wear plether, Edward," Umi said, stifling giggles.

"Well, I like it, so there," he said, looking in the mirror.

Alphonse sighed. "Let me change too, okay?"

It only took a minute for Al to change. He ended up in a tight plether top that had straps across the chest. It too had a high midriff, and came high than Edward's. He also wore a pair of blue jeans with holes in the knees, and a pair of simple sneakers.

Edward burst out laughing. "Now THAT'S ridiculous!"

Umi sighed inwardly. _What's with all the plether…?_ she thought.

The boys laughed at each other, while Umi turned to see Brystan entering the store. Umi swallowed. _Uh oh…he's going to be awfully mad…_

But instead of getting angry with the boys, Brystan was very calm, and told Edward he was upset he took his wallet and ran off. Edward return the wallet, grumbling.

Umi was surprised. She felt a little disappointed that she'd been wrong.

Brystan looked the boys over, and laughed. "You have the strangest sense of style…" he said, chuckling. "And yet…it fits you two."

Edward looked offended. "Oh fine! Mock me!" He stuck out his tongue, and refused to talk to Brystan.

Brystan shook his head, laughing.

"I'd say this trip was sort of a disaster," Alphonse said gloomily.

"I don't think anyone can take Edward out in public," Umi added.

Edward twitched. "HEY!"

Edward looked around the large hotel room, his mouth gaping. "Is this…really where you stay, Brystan?" he asked.

Brystan nodded. "More or less. I'm still in the process of finding permanent residence, but due to my work, I'm rarely in one place too long. I figure I'd get somewhere you two could stay while I'm away." He shrugged. "It's not much, but…"

Alphonse opened a window, and stuck his head out, grinning in amazement. "Wow! I can't believe how high we are!" he said, awestruck.

Edward pretended not to be impressed. "Big deal…we've been to high places before, Alphonse."

Alphonse looked at Edward. "But not like this, Brother. I've never been in a building this high before. It's kinda spooky." He chuckled, closing the window.

Edward sighed, sitting down in a chair, and putting his feet up, which were still in his boots. Brystan cleared his throat.

"If you'd be so kind as to take your shoes off," Brystan said dryly at Edward. "It'd keep everything much cleaner."

Edward looked at Brystan. "Huh? Oh…" He removed his feet from the end table, and took his boots off. He stood up, and put them by the door.

Alphonse giggled. "Do we have to tell you everything, Brother?"

Edward gave an indignant look. "No! I just forgot."

Brystan cracked a smile. "Right…"

Edward sighed, plopping back down in the chair and putting his feet back on the table. Brystan sighed.

"Feet off the tables, please."

Edward snorted, and took his feet off the table. Alphonse caught the sound of Edward mocking Brystan under his breath.

Brystan sighed. "I hope this all works out okay…I'd hate to go with the secondary plan."

"Which is?" Edward asked, not really caring.

"I hand you back over to the CIA, and they do experiments on you to see how you tick." He chuckled darkly. "You two are pretty special. No one has ever successfully cloned a human completely through artificial means before."

Edward looked unnerved. "You wouldn't…"

Brystan became serious. "I had to pull a lot of strings to get you two here. If anything happens, it's my ass that'll get it."

Edward smirked evilly behind his hand. "Really…"

Brystan's face fell. "Don't get ideas…" He sounded more like Roy than ever before. "I know I remind you of someone you don't like, but I'd appreciate some respect. I'm doing everything I can for you two."

Alphonse smiled warmly. "If it means anything, I'll do my best to behave, and I'll keep Edward in line as much as I can."

Edward snorted. "You were never very good at that, Al."

Alphonse looked upset. "Well, it's not like you made it any easier, Brother."

Edward smiled. "Hey, I never pretended to like following orders."

Brystan chuckled. "You sound like a terror, Edward."

Alphonse giggled. "Let's put it this way…when my Brother got kidnapped, the Military feared for his _captives_, not him."

Edward looked insulted. "Hey! I'm not _that_ bad!"

Alphonse gave Edward a look. "You completely warped the entire building! Not to mention you took out close to thirty men _by yourself_."

"Five of which you and Mustang caused!" Edward shot back.

"It was either that, or accidentally get you hurt in a crossfire!" Alphonse argued back. "Between the two, you should be happy I was thinking of your safety!"

Edward snorted. "Well, you didn't have to call me a little bean!" He pouted angrily.

Alphonse smiled. "Well, I knew you'd react to that. And I did apologize for it, remember?"

Brystan shook his head, listening to the conversation. He had a feeling Edward's temper was going to get them all in hot water more than a few times.

Umi knocked softly on the door as she peeked in shyly. "H-hello…"

Brystan turned. "Oh…Miss Umi, you should be resting. You'll be going home tomorrow afternoon."

"I-I know…" Umi said quietly. "I-I just wanted to talk for a while. I'm not very tired…"

Brystan smiled softly. "If the boys are all right with it…"

Alphonse blushed shyly, and nodded. Edward had his back to them, and waved his hand to say he was okay with it.

Umi blushed a little, and closed the door softly behind her. She sat down in a chair near the entrance to the room. Edward still had his back to her.

Alphonse and Brystan each found spots to sit as well. Umi looked at them shyly, her fingers twisting around each other in her lap.

"Umm…I wanted to say that my Father phoned me earlier today, and seems interested in meeting you both. And, to be honest, I would feel more comfortable having both of you there. So," she hesitated for a moment. "I-I-I'd like to formally ask both of you to come with me."

Alphonse looked surprised. "I thought we were going anyway?"

Brystan nodded. "The decision is ultimately up to you. In any case, I think she's just trying to be polite."

Umi nodded, her face red.

Alphonse felt his face was a little warm as well. "Well…I'd be happy to go. I'd like to meet your Father." He turned to look at Edward, who was sitting still, his back to them. "Brother? What about you?"

"Y-yeah…no problem. I'll go too." Edward said it without turning.

Umi nodded respectfully. "Thank you…both of you."

Edward stared at the wall, his face red. He had been shaking nervously ever since Umi had walked into the room. He tried to reassure himself, but the thought kept coming up.

_I've met her before…but where? She reminds me of…_

Umi stood to leave. "I should rest up. I'll head back to my room, and I'll see you both tomorrow." She smiled, and walked to the door.

Brystan had followed her, and opened the door for her. "Have a good rest, Miss Umi."

Umi smiled. "I will."

Brystan shut the door, and sighed. "She's so polite…I can't believe it…"

Edward took a few cleansing breaths before he got up, and faced everyone with a smile plastered on his face.

"Okay, so we get to meet her Dad. What's he like anyway?" Edward tried to sound interested, but his mind kept wandering.

Brystan grinned. "He's one of the wealthiest men alive. Raiden St. Claire; he owns businesses in almost anything you can imagine. The strange thing is he's constantly donating his money to charity. He only keeps about half of what he makes." Brystan shook his head. "Very strange man."

Alphonse blinked. "He sounds like he cares a lot for things."

Brystan nodded. "I suppose he does…he was very worried for his daughter when she was kidnapped. He was so relieved to get her back. The phone call she mentioned was 8 hours long."

Edward's eyes got big. "Man…that's long…" He thought of Lieutenant Colonel Hughes' phone calls to his family, and the thought made him smile for a moment.

Brystan nodded. "He's also a bit reclusive. No one really sees him. It definitely keeps him out of the public's eye."

So…not a lot of people would know about him, unless they knew his business…" Alphonse concluded. Brystan nodded.

"Even though he's worth so much, he's never in the lists of wealthy people. He leaves himself out on purpose." Brystan scratched his head. "Weird…"

The phone rang suddenly, and Brystan answered it. "Hello?"

He was silent for a moment. "A package? What kind of package? Does it say?" There was another pause. "All right…I come down and get it then." He hung up the phone.

"What was that all about?" Edward asked.

"A package just arrived for me…weird…" Brystan shook his head. "I'll be right back." He walked out of the room, and towards the elevator.

Alphonse closed the door. "Everything is happening so fast, Brother. I wonder…what do you think it all means?"

Edward snorted. "Someone's laughing at us."

Alphonse looked amused. "You think someone likes to watch us suffer?"

Edward shrugged. "Yeah, probably."

Alphonse looked sadly thoughtful. "Brother…do you think we'll be okay? I mean, a lot has changed, and we don't know anyone anymore…"

Edward smiled, and turned his head to look out the window. "We'll be fine, Al. We always have been. We'll just stay low, and have a little fun for a while."

Alphonse was quiet for a bit. "Umi…what do you think of her, Brother?"

Edward's face flushed, and he refused to look at Alphonse. "She's nice…she's just a girl after all…"

Alphonse blinked. "Brother…do you _like_ her?"

Edward snapped his head around, his face red. "NO! Al, how could you SAY that?!"

Alphonse smiled, enjoying the reaction. "But…you blush when you're around her, or if someone mentions her. And you're so nice to her…Brother, I think you like her."

"I DO NOT!" Edward yelled angrily back. "She just…reminds me of someone, that's all."

Alphonse blinked. "That's odd…she reminds me of someone too…"

Edward was calm now. "Who does she remind you of, Al?"

Alphonse thought for a moment. "Like…like Winry a little…"

Edward nodded. "Yeah, her…and Rosé…and Noah…" Edward came to a conclusion. "Yeah…she reminds me of Noah."

Alphonse looked shocked. "You don't think…"

Edward's face was hard. "There has to be some kind of connection, Al."

Brystan walked into the room at that point, carrying a small parcel. He put it down on the coffee table, and looked at Edward and Alphonse.

"What are you two up to now?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

The boys fell silent. "Nothing…really." Edward swallowed as he spoke.

Brystan sighed. "Well, you two need to rest. It'll be a long trip tomorrow, and you two have never been on a plane, I'll bet."

Edward grimaced. "I wouldn't say 'plane'…more like a rocket-powered aircraft."

Brystan laughed. "Commercial aircrafts are very smooth. It shouldn't be a bad experience. But it'll be tiring, so get some rest." He shooed the boys off to bed.

Edward grumbled a little, and paused at the door. "Uhh…Brystan?"

Brystan looked at Edward, surprised. "Yes?"

Edward stood for a moment, trying to find the courage to say what he wanted to say. Finally, he spoke.

"T-thank you…"

Brystan smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it, Ed."

Edward smiled a small smile, and closed the bedroom door behind him.

Alphonse got into his pyjamas, stretching. "I like him…he's nice."

Edward took off his shirt, and reached for his pyjama top before he spoke. "He's okay…sure is a lot nicer than Roy…"

Alphonse carefully took his elastic out of his hair. "I think he genuinely cares about us…"

Edward stuffed his head through his pyjama top, his face upset. "But…he works for the government…he probably has his own agenda. I still don't fully trust him."

Alphonse looked sad. "Brother…how can you not trust him? You heard what he said. He could have given us to the government, and they'd have done experiments on us!" He shook his head. "I trust him more than those government people."

Edward took off his pants, sighing. "Al, just because he didn't give us to his superiors doesn't mean he doesn't have us under surveillance. I'll bet we're being watched, and he'll force us to do stuff just to satisfy his own agenda. He'll wait, and use us to further his own career." He got into his pyjama bottoms. "Just like Mustang."

Alphonse scowled. "The General never did that."

"He did too, Al. You just didn't see it." Edward looked upset. "Because of us, he got promoted to Colonel, and eventually got moved up to Central. We were his stepping stones."

Alphonse looked upset. "Brother, how can you be so bitter?"

Edward took his elastic out of his hair. "Easily, Al. I remember the past."

Alphonse looked away. "You won't let it go, you mean."

Edward looked at the other wall for a few moments. "Goodnight, Al."

Brystan sat in his chair, staring at the package. _If what those two boys said is true, I can't let the CIA get a hold of them. Who knows what they'll do to them? No…I have to protect them however I can. Even if that means lying to the CIA…the Government even._

He blinked, breaking his thoughts. "Anyway…what's in this thing anyway?" He opened the package. Lying on top of the contents was a letter addressed to him. He opened it.

_To Mr. Cabanot;_

_The contents of this package are not intended for you. As to whom they are for, that will become clear very shortly after you receive it._

_I have sent this to you in the hope that I have done the right thing. The outcome of the future will depend on you and your commitment to what happens. I will say this right now: trust no one. Those you do come to trust, keep close, and protect with your life._

_You have started down a small, winding road, one that has no firm outcome. Whether humanity is wiped out, or saved is up to you and the people around you._

_Ask yourself right now: do you believe in the concept of another world, opposite our own? Can the spirits of those people cross the threshold into this world, and back again? And what is death really?_

_As you come to the end of this note, reflect on what has been written, and sleep on it. All will happen in due time. We will meet soon enough._

Brystan sat the unsigned letter down, and looked thoughtful. What did it mean? Who had sent it? And just what was in it?

He reached for the box, and hesitated. He stood up instead, and walked off to bed, sighing. _What am I doing?_ he thought to himself.

Edward tossed and turned, unable to fully go to sleep. He moaned through his half-asleep state, his forehead clammy with perspiration.

_Wake up, Edward…I'm waiting…free me…_

Edward jolted up in bed at the voice that echoed through his head, but he was clearly not awake. His eyes were clouded and hazed, and he crawled out of bed without a sound. He walked, as though being pulled by an unseen force, towards the sitting room.

Alphonse woke at the sound of the door opening. He shot up, and blinked sleepily at the form of Edward standing in the door.

"Brother…? What is it?" He rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up a little more. He finally noticed Edward's blank gaze.

"Brother? Are you all right? You're not sleepwalking, are you?"

Edward didn't reply, and walked out into the sitting room, towards the package on the coffee table. His long, loose hair swung back and forth as he walked, and some stuck to his wet face, giving him an eerie, dishevelled look. Alphonse got up, and followed Edward out into the sitting room.

"Brother…?"

Edward said nothing again, and instead rummaged through the box's packing material until he came out with the object he sought.

It was a bracelet, carved from silver in the form of a dragon; a dragon that eerily resembled Envy's earth-bound form. Its eyes flashed in the low light, and Alphonse realized they were made from a blood-red stone.

Edward paused for a moment, and then slipped it onto his right wrist.

Alphonse took a step forward. "Brother, don't! You shouldn't—"

Brystan had been waiting in the doorway of his room for hours, waiting for the events that were happening. He had his gun ready, but didn't think he'd need it. He watched, biting his lip.

Edward's eyes cleared a little as he looked at the bracelet on his wrist. "Huh…?"

There was a flash, and something akin to an alchemy transmutation happened. Alphonse gave a surprised cry, and stepped back, shielding his eyes. Brystan too withdrew a little, shielding his gaze.

It was almost instantaneous; no one fully saw the whole thing, or had time to react. The bracelet took a life of it's own, and plunged into Edward's arm. It slithered under his skin for a moment, and then came back up, wrapping tightly around his wrist, but now a part of his skin. The veins around the bracelet became prominent, and turned a black colour, almost like the thing had rooted itself in Edward's arm. The light faded, and Edward fell to the floor, screaming in pain.

Alphonse recovered quickly, and held Edward, supporting him. "Brother!" He wasn't sure what had happened, or what to do. Brystan ran to the boys.

"I-I don't know what happened…" Alphonse trailed off. "It happened so fast. Brystan…"

Brystan looked at Edward, and then at his arm. "What in the world…?"

Edward forced himself to his feet, chuckling, and his voice was low and raspy. He let his head arch back, his eyes snapping open. They had turned purple, and the pupils had narrowed into slits. They were they eyes of a Homunculus.

"_Hello…Alphonse…long time no see…_"

The raspy voice echoed with Edward's softer tone in an eerie duet.

Alphonse shuttered at the voice, backing away. "No…it can't be…Brother watched you die…"

Brystan backed up a bit, shocked. "What…what's going on?"

Edward pulled his back down to a normal position. "_That's right, Alphonse…my body died…but I didn't completely fade from this world. No…the scientists had other ideas_."

Alphonse looked afraid. "Envy…"

Envy chuckled darkly. "_Those scientists…they took out a piece of my stone…they put it in that bracelet. They thought they could control me…but they were wrong_." He licked his fingers. "_My stone craved a new body, and ate the host alive…it wasn't compatible, you see. Pity…such a waste of life…_" He smiled. "_Now, Fullmetal here, on the other hand, is very compatible. Of course, he's not perfect…they did something to his genes when they cloned him…he's not a perfect clone. But he'll do_." He smiled farther. "_At least the stone won't eat him alive so fast…_"

"What do you mean, Envy? What do you mean, 'eat him alive'?" Alphonse was panicking. "What are you doing to my brother?"

"_Relax, Alphonse_," Envy said. "_I need Fullmetal to do something for me, that's all. You see, I can't pass from this world until this stone is destroyed. But there's only one thing that can destroy it. And I need Fullmetal to use it to destroy the stone_."

Brystan wrinkled his brow. "What are you talking about?"

Envy turned his head to look at Brystan. "_You humans call it the Sword of Damocles. It was said to have cut the chains that bound the Archangel Michael, and he then used it to defeat the demon, Lucifer. It supposedly can cut through anything. If that's true, it's the only thing that can cut through the stone_."

"Of course…the Philosopher's Stone can't be destroyed by just anything…" Alphonse muttered, half dazed. "But…does it really exist?"

"_It was made at the same time as the Spear of Longinus, the artifact used to capture me_," Envy explained. "_If the spear is real, then so too must the sword_."

Brystan gritted his teeth. "If it does exist…then where would we find it?"

Envy shrugged. "_You humans are pretty resourceful…you'll think of something. In the meantime, you should watch yourselves. I'm getting a vibe…a similar spiritual imprint as you and Fullmetal…I think you'll be expecting trouble_." He looked at Alphonse. "_I'll lend my service to the runt as long as I'm here…I'll change the shape of this bracelet into anything I can…a sword, for example. But I'll warn you, every time he does so, the stone's power will eat further into him. Equivalent Exchange, if you will_." Envy gave a sadistic grin. "_So, unless you don't want to lose him, get to work finding that sword_."

Alphonse gritted his teeth. "Why should we? How do we know you won't try anything? I still don't trust you!"

"_Believe what you want_," Envy said dryly. "_But I'm going to bed_." He walked off into the bedroom, and shut the door behind him.

Alphonse sat silently for a while, and stared at the floor, his face a mess of emotions. Brystan walked over, and sat down beside Alphonse, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Alphonse sighed a little, and looked at Brystan. "I can't believe it…it doesn't seem real…"

Brystan's face was set. "Al…who is that? That wasn't Edward, was it? You called him Envy…"

Alphonse composed himself a bit, and then spoke. "Yeah…he was a Homunculus…we knew him back in Amstris. He came through the gate the same time Ed did the first time. I didn't even think he'd still be alive, but he was apparently. He'd been changed into a dragon, from what Ed told me. The Thule Society used him as a gate to Amstris…him and…Father."

Brystan looked shocked. "Your Father?"

Alphonse nodded. "Brother saw it with his own eyes…Envy had said his only desire in life was to kill Father…I guess he succeeded."

"Homunculus…what is that, exactly?" Brystan chewed his finger in thought.

Alphonse paused. "A Homunculus…is a being that is created when an alchemist fails a human transmutation…they have a heart and a mind…but no soul. Eventually, it will be corrupted by its desires, and becomes…well, maybe not evil, but…definitely dangerous."

Brystan was quiet for a bit. "Al…what do you think will happen to Ed?"

Alphonse shook his head. "I…I don't know…" He hung his head, tired.

Brystan sat for a moment, and then stood up, walking to the boy's bedroom. He paused a moment, his hand on the doorknob, and took a breath. He opened the door, letting his eyes adjust.

Edward was asleep, sprawled across his bed as though he had fallen there. He seemed at peace, and his breathing was calm and even. Brystan smiled a little, and carefully put Edward into his bed, and tucked him in. He looked at Edward's right arm, and felt his teeth clench together. The black veins hadn't faded any, and he could see Edward's fingers twitching a little now and then, as if something was irritating the nerves in his arm. He sighed quietly, rubbing his hand across his face.

Alphonse entered after a bit, and sat on the bed next to Brystan. He pushed Edward's hair out of his face, and straightened his clothes. "Always so sloppy…" he murmured.

Brystan stood up, and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He felt tired, and heavy for some reason, and he sat down on the couch, holding his head in his hands, sighing. The whole day had been eventful.

While he sat there, he heard the muffled sound of voices in the hallway. He paused, and listened intently.

"…Down the hall a bit more…" someone said. "Don't hurt her; the boss wants her alive and unharmed."

Brystan stiffened. _How the heck did they get inside the building?!_ he thought, drawing his gun and cocking it. He moved across the room to the front door, and paused before easing the door open quietly.

There were two men standing in the hall just down from his room, their backs to him. He contemplated the situation. _I could probably sneak up behind them and put them down quietly, and then call for backup…_His mind raced over the plan, looking for anything that might jeopardize it. He screwed his silencer on quickly. Taking a steadying breath, Brystan swung out into the hallway, and pointed his gun at their backs. The men turned, and looked surprised.

"Drop any weapons you two are carrying. Do it now," Brystan said, his voice low and even. His finger rested on the trigger of his gun, showing them he was serious.

The two men pulled their guns out of their pockets, and dropped them on the floor at their feet. Brystan motioned for them to kick them over to him, which they did. He stooped down, his gun still trained on the men, and retrieved their guns.

"You work for the VanHoust Organization, don't you?" Brystan asked.

The one man smirked. "What of it?"

Brystan flashed his badge at the men briefly before continuing. "I heard the VanHoust Organization was funding Doctor Lorca's efforts, as well as several other people. They've been doing illegal cloning experiments for years, disguising it as genome therapy and medical research. Very clever of them, but they've gotten sloppy recently. Either they're close to what they're after, or they're running out of certain things. Most likely, their 'tools' are escaping them, am I right? Which is why you two are here, to retrieve Umi. Am I correct so far?"

"It's not like we'll tell you," the man retorted. "You're CIA. Telling you anything would be suicide. It's not like you can do anything anyway," he continued. "We're not stupid. Coming alone would be a suicide mission. And I don't plan on dying here." He reached for a hidden gun under his coat as three more men came around the corner behind Brystan. He swore quietly under his breath, and made a dive for the door across the hall as the men behind him fired.

Brystan took a shot at the gun in the shooter's hand, but missed as the man dodged. A second shot was fired, and the man dropped his gun, cursing. Brystan looked over, and saw Katharine standing farther down the hall in the opposite direction, her own pistol aimed, and her silencer smoking a little. She's fired the shot. He gave a sigh of relief.

"Get down!" Katharine yelled at Brystan, which he did. She fired several more shots, knocking more weapons out of the men's hands. The five men were in a state of disorder now, having had their weapons shot out of their hands. Brystan seized the moment, and threw the nearest men into the others, knocking them over.

Alphonse tensed, hearing the sounds of people being thrown. He lifted his head, and looked at the wall, his eyes wide. Edward moaned, and thrashed his head a little, still unconscious. Alphonse hesitated, and got up. He ran to the door of the suite, and pressed his ear to the door, which was still open a bit.

Brystan swung around after dealing with the group of men he'd thrown, and came face-to-face with a fist. He was thrown into the wall behind him, and a grunt escaped him as he touched his face, growling. "Hey! That hurt!"

The man who'd thrown the punch was big; a mountain of muscle. Brystan sized him up, grinning. The man grinned back. "I guess you'll be wanting some more?"

Brystan cracked his fist, and smirked. "I take punches personally."

The man swung at Brystan, but was intercepted by a blur coming from the suite. Alphonse had blocked the shot, having flung the door open without thinking. He now stopped the man's fist dead with his hand, their arms shaking a bit from effort. Al looked over his shoulder at Brystan.

"Sorry…old habits die hard, I guess…are you okay?"

Brystan stared in amazement. "Al…yeah, I am." His face became expressionless, and Alphonse was reminded of General Mustang as he walked calmly into conflict. He smiled a soft smile, despite himself.

The man grunted a bit. "You're not an average kid, Kid."

Alphonse was snapped back to reality. He turned back to the man. "Huh? Oh…heh, sorry, instincts kicked in there." He shoved the man's hand back at him, and smoothly kicked his legs out from under him. The man went down heavily.

Edward came to with a snap. He sat up in bed, a scream escaping him. He winced as his arm throbbed in pain, and he clutched it, feeling the bracelet imbedded in his arm. He blinked, trying to come to grips with what had happened, but the noise in the hall brought his senses into focus. Edward could hear Brystan in the hall.

"Don't let them get to Umi! Our mission is to prevent her capture at all costs!"

Edward's eyes widened as he heard the statement, and leapt up. He raced out of the room, and into the hall, turning on a dime to go right down the hall towards Umi's room. He leapt over a few unconscious bodies on the floor as he ran, weaving in and out of the fighting, his eyes fixed on one point—Umi's room.

Brystan and Alphonse both saw Edward race out of the suite, and stared in stunned surprise. _Edward?_

Edward kicked the door in, and saw a weasel of a man grabbing Umi by the wrist. She fought back, but he pinned her easily. Edward felt his blood boil.

"Let her go, you slimebag! Don't make me hurt you!"

"That's what I was gonna say, pipsqueak," the muscle man said from behind Edward. Edward jumped, surprised, but the man threw him into a wall before he could react. Edward slammed hard against the wall before landing on the floor with a heavy 'thud!' and a moan.

Umi screamed, terrified. Edward slowly got to his feet, now letting the hit faze him too much. He felt a heat racing through his blood like he'd never felt before. An all-consuming rage, like a fire, burned through ever vein in his body, and he felt himself throb a little. He felt possessed.

The weasel of a man holding Umi stumbled back a little as she fought him. He tried to right himself, and Umi twisted. She gasped as she hit the windowsill, and tipped backwards out the open window. Both men reached for her and missed.

Edward didn't miss a beat. He launched off the men on the floor, and shot out the window after Umi. Reaching, he grabbed her, and she clung to him, terrified. Edward felt his feel connect with the side of the building, and started running, having nothing to slow him down. He gritted his teeth. _I don't know if this will work, but it's all I've got_.

He ran down the side of the building, picking up a bit of speed. As he reached the bottom, he took a deep breath, and took a big step. Time seemed to slow as he landed on the ground, and ran for several more feet before finally screeching to a stop. Edward swore a little, and put Umi down, fanning his bare feet.

"I think I burned a layer of skin off my feet!" he moaned.

Umi blinked, trying to catch her breath. She stared at Edward, amazed. "How…how did you do that?" she asked.

"I dunno," Edward grumbled. "But I'm never doing it again."

Alphonse and Brystan had raced down the stairs with Katharine in tow. The other would-be kidnappers had given up, all except the muscle man. He had taken the route down the building that Edward had taken, only he slowed his decent by snagging ledges on the way down. Before very long at all, the man was on the ground, staring down Edward.

"Hmph…such a troublesome bug," the man said to Edward.

Edward twitched, angrily. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN INSECT TOO SMALL TO BE NOTICED?!"

The man chuckled. "Quite the temper on you," he gloated. "And you're fast too. You'll be interesting."

"He's not your opponent," Alphonse called out behind him. "I am."

The man turned, grinning. "Even better…you're pretty strong, Kid."

"My name," Alphonse interrupted angrily. "Is Alphonse."

The man grinned. "You can call me Snark." He cracked his fists and neck in anticipation.

Alphonse took a ready pose, and waved his hand at Snark, enticing him to attack.

Snark threw the first punch, and Alphonse caught it. Edward stared in amazement at Alphonse's strength. He smirked.

"Snark's in trouble," he said.

"Why's that?" Umi asked.

Edward grinned. "I never beat Alphonse in honest combat before."

Snark grimaced as Alphonse blocked attack after attack. _Kid's good…I misjudged him…_

Alphonse kicked at him, and Snark threw Alphonse off. He landed lightly a few feet away. Snark grinned, and wiped his lip off. "Not bad…you've got a lot of skill."

Alphonse grinned. "I had a lot of good training…and an excellent sparring partner."

Snark smiled. "Well, sorry, nothing personal, but I have a mission to fulfill." He ran towards a parked car, and lifted it above his head with a deep grunt of exertion. Everyone gaped, amazed.

"He…he's not human!" Katharine gasped.

"Alphonse! Look out!" Brystan yelled.

Alphonse took a deep breath. "I can't…do that…"

Snark heaved the car at Alphonse, and Katharine and Brystan, who were behind him. Alphonse bit his lip, and braced himself. "I have to…protect you…"

He stopped the car with his arms, and grunted as he was pushed back a few inches. He gave a cry, and lifted the car above his head, eyes wide.

Snark looked flabbergasted. "How…?"

Alphonse grinned, and threw the car in a safe direction. "I honestly don't know. But I like it." He flexed his hands.

Snark took another step back, and turned. Edward had stood, and was now getting ready to fight as well. Snark snarled. "Dang…two people…haven't you heard of fair fighting?"

"Afraid, Snark?" Edward asked, his voice strangely deeper than usual, his eyes becoming cold and hard, a sneer pasted on his face.

Alphonse looked scared. "Edward! Snap out of it!"

"Why Al? He tried to hurt so many people…I think it's only fair we hurt him back." Edward licked the tips of his fingers on his right hand. "Sweet justice."

Alphonse got upset. "Brother, that's Envy talking! You have to snap out of it! I know you're in there!"

Edward's face twitched a little. "En…vy…? Huh…? Al, what's…?"

Snark threw a punch at Edward, who blocked it with his right arm. He glared at Snark, his eyes burning. Edward's old self resurfaced.

"If I remember correctly," he said quietly. "You made a crack or two about my height." Edward's face was frightening. "Now I'm going to get even."

Edward twisted Snark's arm back, and kicked his legs out. Alphonse ran forward, a relieved grin on his face. _Brother…_

Snark rolled out of the way, setting up. "So…it's a fight you two want, eh?"

Edward and Alphonse stood beside one another, shoulder to shoulder. "You asked for it!" Edward yelled.

"And we're gonna give it to you!" Alphonse finished.

Next Chapter: Edward and Alphonse team up with Brystan and Katharine to take down Snark. Some surprising and disturbing things surface about the boy's clone bodies, and Edward struggles to keep Envy at bay. And what happens when an old friend turns up looking for Edward?


	2. Chapter 2 Visitations

**Redemption**

**An FMA fanfic by Steph O'Dell and Zev**

**(She helped lots! w)**

**Chapter 2—Visitations**

Edward and Alphonse stood beside one another, shoulder to shoulder. "You asked for it!" Edward yelled.

"And we're gonna give it to you!" Alphonse finished.

Snark didn't look scared or impressed. He challenged Alphonse and Edward fists forward. The boys moved in perfect sync, beating him back with kicks and punches. Their brotherly synchronicity was nearly flawless. Snark flew back into a barrier, and struggled to regain his footing. Alphonse and Edward got ready again, waiting.

Snark changed tactics quickly, and threw a nearby cement barrier at the boys. Edward cartweeled out of the way, and Alphonse hit the block to redirect it safely so it wouldn't injure anyone. Snark grinned.

"You go out of your way to protect people…it's so noble." His tone was mocking.

Alphonse frowned. "People don't need to be hurt needlessly. But I don't expect you to get that."

Brystan stood back with Katharine, and stared. "Those boys…they're incredible. I just can't believe those two…are so skilled." He blinked.

Katharine smiled a little. "They fight to protect what's close to them."

Brystan grinned. "Getting intellectual on me, huh, Katharine?"

"Always," she replied.

Edward threw punch after punch at Snark, who blocked them. Alphonse picked up the cement barricade that Snark had thrown earlier, and threw it back at him. Edward dodged the projectile. Snark smirked, and knocked it away carelessly.

It was a split-second realization for Edward. The barricade was headed for Umi. His mind ran on overdrive.

_She'll never move in time…I have to help her…_

He took off in a flat-out sprint, the adrenaline going harder and faster than it had during the run down the building. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he moved. He scooped Umi up in his arms, and ran a ways away, skidding to a stop. He looked back as the barricade impacted.

_How the hell…did I do that?! _he thought, flabbergasted.

The reaction from everyone else was the same. No one had seen Edward move. They had thought Umi had been hit. The realization Umi was safe, and that Edward had somehow managed to pick her up and take her several feet away in the split-second the event had occurred was dumbfounding.

"Brother…" Alphonse said, astounded. "You moved…so fast…"

"No one can move that fast," Katharine said.

Brystan clenched his teeth. "So that's…that's what those scientists did…"

Katharine was surprised. "What?"

Brystan looked at Katharine. "The scientists manipulated their genes, making some traits so dominant they became almost super-human. Alphonse's strength, and Edward's speed…they've been super-manipulated."

"My God…" Katharine said. "Super Soldier Therapy…I thought it was a myth…"

"Apparently not," Brystan replied bitterly.

Umi stared at Edward. "I'm suddenly reminded of Barry Allen."

"Huh?" Edward asked, confused.

"The Flash," Umi said. "He's a…DC comic book hero…he could move almost as fast as light."

Edward blinked. "That was…the weirdest feeling…like everything slowed right down…but I was still moving normally."

Snark stared. "What…what the hell are you freaks?"

Edward sat Umi down again. "A couple of freaks looking to kick yer sorry ass." He cracked his fists. "I thought you were supposed to bring her back alive?"

"Hey man, I get paid no matter what," Snark said. "I could care less."

"ASSHOLE!" Edward screamed, slamming his fist into Snark's face. He had moved super fast again, in his anger. He didn't have control of it yet, and it seemed to turn on whenever his adrenaline spiked rapidly.

Like when he got pissed off.

Alphonse was helpless to stop Edward, knowing full well catching Edward would be impossible. Snark was beaten almost senseless within a few seconds. Edward stood over him, panting with rage, and trying to calm down. Alphonse put his hands on Edward's arms, and felt his brother vibrating in his anger.

"Brother, you have to calm down," Alphonse started.

"And why should I?" he snapped angrily at Alphonse. "This ass obviously doesn't care about the lives of others, so why should I care about his?" His eyes became hard. "He's no better than trash."

Alphonse flinched at Edward's cruel words, and grabbed Edward by the arms. "Brother! Stop! Don't you see? That's Envy talking! You have to snap out of it!"

Edward shook Alphonse off of him, and wound up his arm, bringing his fist down heavily on Snark's face. He grinned at the sickening sound his fist made as it slammed into the man's face. He wound up, and hit him again. And again. He wound up a fourth time, smirking.

"I'm going to enjoy putting you down," he said, darkly, enjoying every moment.

Umi threw her arms around Edward, and he grew instantly limp. He let go of Snark, letting the giant man hit the ground, and slumped to his knees. Umi held him tightly, whispering soothingly to him.

"It's okay, Edward. Please, stop. Go back to the way you were before."

Edward's eyes softened, and he began to cry silently, the realization of his cruelty crushing him. "How…could I…?"

Umi held him tighter, still whispering soothingly under her breath.

He panted heavily for a moment, trying to sort out what had just happened. As it all dawned on him, Edward screamed angrily into the night sky, his voice ringing with anger and pain, and heavy with rage, as if he'd been cheated. And in a way, he realized, he had.

Edward's moment of weakness had let Envy dig a little farther into his body. He clutched his arm in pain, gritting his teeth to hold in the cries. He suffered silently, not allowing himself to show any weakness.

Alphonse watched his brother quietly, his eyes filled with the sadness he felt for them both. As far back as he could remember, Edward never showed his feelings, good or bad, to anyone, trying to be strong enough to support both him and his little brother. And the sadness and pain Edward felt spilled over onto those close to him. Someone, it seemed, always ended up crying for Edward, who could not himself.

Brystan unclenched his fist, his feet moving without him thinking about it. He walked slowly over to Edward, and knelt in front of him, gathering him in his arms. He held Edward as if the boy would fall apart, and stroked his hair gently.

Edward could hold his feelings in no longer. He sobbed into Brystan's shoulder, releasing years of pent-up tears.

William shut the car door on Snark, and sighed. "That's that, I guess." He scratched his neck, feeling lost and a bit fatigued. "I need a smoke…"

Katharine smiled at William. "You should cut down on those things."

William shrugged helplessly. "I really should, but I can't. It's involuntary now." He pulled a cigarette out and lit it, pulling a drag with gusto. "Funny thing is, I started smoking back in high school to impress chicks. Nowadays, it's the smokes that turn them off of me."

"It's called irony, Will," Brystan said, a half-smirk on his lips.

William had arrived shortly after Katharine had called him, and the three agents had quickly apprehended all the men and put them in the back of William and Brystan's cars. Now they stood, watching the Elrics out of the corner of their eyes, and chatting about nothing in particular.

Edward sat on a cement barrier, his eyes clouded. He seemed lost in thought. Alphonse sat beside him, trying to comfort him without touching him. Edward had shrugged off all of Alphonse's earlier attempts at comfort.

"So, Miss St. Claire is alright?" William asked to no one in particular.

"Yes," Katharine answered. "She went back to her room a while ago. Thankfully, she wasn't hurt in the fight."

William looked relieved. Brystan's quick eye caught William's hint of blush.

"She's 18, William. That's 9 years younger than you. Don't even think about it." Brystan's voice was stern, and had a sharp edge of warning to it.

William was startled, and then indignant. "I wasn't…I mean, I'd NEVER! That is…" He shook his head, and tried again. "What I mean is, she's a very nice young lady, and I'd hate to see her hurt. I'm just thankful she's alright, that's all."

"So you say," Brystan countered. "But honestly, Will, you keep looking at her with that happily ever after look of yours."

William sighed. "I can't help it. She has the most gorgeous legs I've ever seen."

Brystan gave William a look, and William nearly cried in shame. Katharine sighed, and walked over to Edward.

"Are you alright, Edward?"

Edward didn't look up. "I'm fine. Just let me be for a while."

Katharine sighed quietly. "You two boys need rest. Why don't you go back up to the room and sleep?"

Alphonse nodded slowly, but Edward didn't budge.

William used the opportunity to escape Brystan, and approached Edward tentatively. "You wanna talk, kid?"

Edward didn't move, but a few pieces of hair fell across his face. He was silent for a moment, and then he spoke. His voice was choked with emotion.

"I almost…killed that man," he said. "I almost beat him to death. And…I _liked_ it." He put his face in his hands. "I actually enjoyed the feeling I got when I hurt him. It…it sickens me now…how cruel I was…I…I don't think…I can face anyone again…"

Alphonse hugged Edward, and this time, Edward didn't stop him.

William was quiet. Having not been present for the fight, he could only imagine. Snark looked pretty bad, and the sombre atmosphere was enough to prove it had been a very violent encounter.

"Kid…people die. It's a fact of life. Everyone gets hurt, and everyone fights. No one is exempt from that. No one."

Edward shook his head violently. "I've killed before, and I never want to do it again! It was hard enough then. I couldn't live with myself if my hands were stained red again."

William felt a twang of shock. He never imagined Edward to be a killer. He looked so young and innocent. Like a teenager who rebelled against his parents by refusing to do his chores, or played his music too loud.

Alphonse chose his words carefully. "Brother…Majahal was an accident…"

Edward gritted his teeth. "What about Greed? Or Sloth? Were they accidents too, Al?!"

Alphonse jerked his hand back, momentarily taken aback. "But Brother…"

Edward gritted his teeth, tears trying vainly to form in the corners of his eyes. "Damnit! I never wanted…"

William and Katharine backed away as Brystan made his way over to Edward. Even Alphonse backed up. Brystan looked at Edward, his warm brown eyes now hard. "Get up, Edward."

Edward didn't move.

"Stand up, Edward. Stand up on your own two feet." Brystan's hand twitched.

Edward lowered his head more. "No…" His voice was quiet and shallow.

Brystan gritted his molars together, and grabbed Edward roughly by the shirt collar. He yanked the boy to his feet, and glared at him intensely.

"Move forward, Edward." His voice was still full of sympathy, but his words were hard. "You have to walk forward, under your own power, or nothing will ever change."

Edward's eyes began to clear a bit as the words rang a familiar chord.

_Get up, Edward…Get up…and move forward. You have two good legs. Now use them…_

"Shut up!" Edward screamed back, his voice upset and close to tears. "You don't know anything!"

"I know enough," Brystan said. "To know when someone gives up and wallows in their self-pity. And it makes me nauseous."

Edward glared into Brystan's brown eyes. They were wet, and tears clung to the corners of them, threatening to spill over. Edward felt a sharp stab of guilt.

Brystan let go of Edward's shirt. Edward stood, shaky, trying to figure things out.

"I…I can't…" he said. "I…I don't want to hurt anyone!"

Brystan paused a moment, and then slapped Edward smartly across the face with an open hand. It connected with a sharp slap, and Edward's head snapped to the side from the blow. The two stood for a moment, neither moving. Everyone stared in shock.

"Brystan…" William's cigarette fell out of his mouth in shock. "You…you hit him…"

Katharine covered her mouth with her hand. Brystan hadn't hit anyone like that. Ever.

Alphonse had cried out as Edward was struck, but made no movement now. He couldn't move, even if he wanted to.

Edward finally looked back at Brystan, his cheek red in the vague shape of Brystan's hand. He rubbed his face slowly, and looked ashamed.

"I…I'm sorry, Edward…" Brystan looked unnerved that he'd actually hit Edward, and rubbed his hand unconsciously.

Edward shook his head slowly. "No…I needed that." He paused a beat, and then walked back into the building. Alphonse followed shortly after.

"Brother!"

Katharine looked at Brystan. "What the hell got into you?"

Brystan looked upset. "I didn't mean to hit him, I just…" He shook his head. "I have no idea why I did that."

Katharine patted Brystan's shoulder. "I think that's what he needed though."

Brystan chewed his lip. "I guess…"

Everyone was tense the next morning. Umi sat in-between Edward and Alphonse in the back of Brystan's car. Katharine sat in the passenger's side seat, checking her Blackberry™ for messages. Brystan drove in silence, his knuckles white.

Umi wanted badly to break the silence, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Edward looked out the left window, watching the scenery quietly. Alphonse looked out the right window, and nervously checked his watch.

Finally, Brystan spoke. "It's a long flight to the West coast. Hopefully, you'll be able to sleep on the plane, so it won't be quite so boring."

The boys made small grunting noises to indicate they'd heard him, but didn't say anything. Umi chewed the ends of her hair nervously.

Katharine put her Blackberry™ away, and pulled out an envelope. Inside were everyone's plane tickets. She triple-checked them.

"We're a bit early," Katharine said.

"The lines are always murder," Brystan admitted, pulling into a stall in the area marked for car storage.

"Especially since the crashes," Katharine added casually.

Brystan sighed heavily. "I just want to get on a plane, and get out of here."

Edward looked at Brystan, his face blank. "So, what's the deal, anyway?"

Brystan looked back, startled. He had a thought suddenly. "Edward…have you or Alphonse ever been on a plane before?"

"I wouldn't say 'plane' so much as a rocket-powered aircraft." Edward's voice was flat.

Brystan grinned nervously, still on knife blades with Edward since the night before. "Oh…well, it's not so bad, really. It's a very smooth, safe way to travel."

Umi shuttered a little. She hated planes.

Katharine opened her door, and got out. The others followed suit, and retrieved their bags from the trunk. Edward looked at the car, slightly disdainful.

Brystan's standard-issue work car was a black sedan. It had nice hubcaps, an ashwood dashboard, and leather heated seats. It got 30m/g. All in all, it was a nice car.

This was not Brystan's work car.

Brystan's daily driver was a '67 Dodge Charger, in canary yellow, with black bumblebee racing stripes. The car had definitely been around the block a few times. It had dents and scrapes and exposed primer and rusted spots, and the motor made an odd, and rather disturbing noise in second gear. And the interior was rather worse for wear. The covers on the seats had holes where the padding was coming out, and a spring had broken in the back bench seat, and constantly poked the passenger in the middle. It was the kind of car even car thieves thought twice about stealing.

"Your car's a piece of junk," Edward had said flatly when he'd first seen it.

Brystan had simply laughed, and popped the trunk open. "Nonsense! I've had this car since my dad gave it to me! You couldn't get a better car!"

Edward had looked at the car again, and wrinkled his nose. "It looks about ready to fall apart."

"Okay, so it's a little loud, and guzzles gas, and the catalytic converter smells like something died in it," Brystan had admitted. "But she's a sleeper, waiting for the driver to put the pedal to the floor so it can open up and scream."

Edward sighed as he pulled his bag out of the trunk. No matter what Brystan told him, the car felt like a rusted-out hunk of junk.

Brystan locked his car tightly, and patted the roof over the driver's side door softly. "Sorry, baby. I have to leave you here for a while. But I'll be back, I promise. Daddy loves you." He quickly kissed his car before turning and running to catch up with the group.

"What were you doing?" Katharine asked.

"Oh, just putting my baby to bed," he replied, half-joking.

Katharine shot him a look before turning back to the building's front doors. "Men and their cars," she muttered under her breath.

Umi fidgeted in her seat on the plane. She had a deep-rooted terror of flying, and kept fighting the urge to jump up and dash off the plane before it took off.

The group had waited in line for almost an hour before they'd had their baggage checked. Then they had to wait until they could actually board the plane, and then again to get their tickets checked. Umi had clung to Edward's arm, desperately fighting the phobia she had eating away at her insides.

Edward and Alphonse sat on either side of her now, harbouring her escape. Brystan and Katharine sat across the isle, far enough out of earshot where Umi couldn't hear them, but close enough for them to see her at all times.

Umi yanked open a bag of peanuts, and began munching on them furiously.

Edward and Alphonse didn't seem nervous about the flight. However, Edward had remarked how cramped he felt. He then pulled out the small airsick bag from the armrest of his chair, and looked at Brystan.

"If it's such a smooth, safe way to travel, what are _these_ for then? The Easter egg hunt?"

Umi felt like she needed the bag right about then.

Alphonse poked at buttons, seeing what they did. Edward stared vacantly out the airplane window, having stolen the window seat, much to Alphonse's irritation.

"Why do you get the window seat?"

"Because I'm bigger, that's why."

"But you're _not_ bigger!" Alphonse said pointedly. "You're half an inch shorter—"

"SHUTUP!" Edward had blasted. "That's EXACTLY why I get the seat! I'm older, and what I say goes!"

The two had become silent after that. Alphonse continued to sulk.

Umi couldn't stand it anymore. She shot to her feet, banging her head on the luggage compartment as she did so. She clutched her head and yelped in pain. Edward and Alphonse looked at her, and Brystan and Katharine stood up.

"I need to leave! I need to get off of this plane!" She knew she was panicking, and felt herself hyperventilating. Edward carefully stood up, minding his head, and gently, but firmly, held her.

"Calm down," he said. He calmed her down as best he could shooting Brystan a confused look.

Brystan gave a soft smile, and a shrug.

Katharine stepped in. "Umi, what is it?"

Umi clung to Edward. "I…I hate planes. I hate flying. I want off. I want to get off this thing!"

Katharine looked at Brystan. "I think she has a phobia," she replied softly.

Umi clung to Edward, her nails digging into his back. Edward was definitely uncomfortable. She was squeezing him until he was breathless.

Alphonse gently pried Umi off his older brother.

Edward tried to catch his breath as Katharine sat Umi back down, and rubbed her back gently.

"I'm starting to regret this decision," Edward grumbled.

"Calm down, Edward. It's not her fault," Brystan said

"I think _I'm_ starting to hate planes," Edward griped quietly.

The ride was far too long for Edward. He'd been forced to endure Umi's panic the entire way. She clung to his arm, whimpering and mumbling manically under her breath about falling out of the sky. It unnerved him terribly.

On top of that, the food was tasteless. Edward hated tasteless food. Eating was one of his favourite things about life. Tasteless food ruined it for him. He felt a deep-rooted hatred for the airline company suddenly.

To top off the awful experience, Edward got airsick. It was a horrible feeling, having that tasteless food come back up to haunt you for a second time…or a fifth, in some cases.

Edward was not a happy camper when they arrived at Vancouver International Airport. He had an understanding of why Umi hated planes.

Alphonse looked relieved to get off the plane as well. He looked a little pale, and complained of stomach discomfort. He hadn't eaten the food on the plane, saying it hadn't smelt right.

Brystan sighed unhappily. It almost seemed to him like everything that _could_ go wrong in his life was. He rubbed his neck, and made a face. He hoped things would be better once they met with Mr. St. Claire.

Even sick, Edward was able to make sarcastic quips about the baggage claim. Brystan gave a tiny smile. Edward was a bright spot in his dark mood.

"We'll see if we can get you boys some Pepto Bismol," Brystan said to the boys.

"Sounds like it'd taste like dung," Edward said rather queasily.

Brystan smiled. "Well, it's medicine. It's not supposed to taste good. But it'll help your upset stomachs."

"I _like_ the taste," Umi said quietly to no one in particular.

Everyone looked at her for a beat, and she squirmed, embarrassed.

Katharine looked up, and spotted a man in a chauffeur's uniform, holing a sign that said 'CABANOT' on it.

"I think our ride is here," Katharine remarked.

Brystan blinked. "Sonnofagun, it is too."

Edward and Alphonse stifled giggles. Edward wanted so badly to say what he really thought of the chauffeur's uniform, but he didn't think it would go over well with everyone. And the fact he felt a particularly strong wave of nausea didn't help either.

Brystan approached the chauffeur, and introduced himself. The chauffeur nodded, and replied his name was Dominik McCaffry. Edward squinted at Dominik. The man looked familiar. Alphonse, too, was studying Dominik closely. The man had blond hair, most of which didn't want to sit very well under the hat. He had silver eyes, and a sprinkle of light freckles across his nose. He greeted everyone with a shy smile.

Edward realized, suddenly, who Dominik reminded him of. He looked about how Fletcher Tringam would have looked as an adult. The sudden realization made him make a couple of gagging noises, and shuffle away quickly. Alphonse followed after his brother, laughing nervously.

Dominik looked a little upset, but helped Brystan and Katharine with their bags.

Edward whispered to Alphonse in a harsh voice. "Doesn't he look like—?"

"Yeah," Alphonse admitted quickly. "A lot like him."

"If I see someone who looks like Russell, so help me, Al, I'm going to punch him out. I don't _care_ who he is." Edward was grinding his teeth.

Alphonse laughed nervously again, and drug Edward outside.

Neither of the boys had seen a limousine before, and were taken aback by it. They sat in the limo, stroking the leather seats, oohing and ahhing incredulously.

Brystan sat back, smirking a little. "It's pretty nice," he said. "It was awfully nice of him to send the limo to come get us."

Dominik smiled from the driver's seat. "Yes sir. Mr. St. Clair was very particular about that. He seemed very happy this morning. Usually he's very quiet and sullen, so it was a nice change. I guess he wanted to thank you for everything you've done for him."

Umi bounced on her seat a little, giggling despite herself. She seemed excited. Brystan caught Edward smiling at Umi with a soft, vacant look, and smiled to himself.

"Minifridge," Katharine stated.

"Huh?" Brystan said, distracted. He looked over, and sure enough, the limo was outfitted with a minifridge. He whistled. "Now that's nice."

Katharine stopped Brystan. "Not for you."

"Why not?" Brystan whined.

"I know you. You'd have more than you could handle," Katharine said, her tone one of scolding.

Brystan looked crestfallen. "No, I wouldn't. Honest."

Edward restrained a laugh. It was almost too funny to watch Brystan and Katharine argue like a married couple. A sharp memory of the General and his first lieutenant made him sombre again. His face fell.

Brystan looked at Edward, surprised. "Are you okay, Edward?"

Edward looked up a little, and then became sombre again. "Yeah…just…a memory. That's all."

Alphonse looked at Edward. He said nothing, but his eyes told Edward that he was sorry. Edward tried to smile for Alphonse, as if to say it was okay.

The mansion where Mr. St. Claire lived was huge. It had a beautifully manicured lawn, with bright flower gardens scattered around, and simple but tasteful ornaments and statuettes scattered along the path from the driveway to the house itself.

Edward and Alphonse looked up at the imposing white mansion and were speechless. Everything was grand and commanding, like the palace of a king.

Umi looked as nervous as she felt. She hoped her father would be a kind man; strong, gentle, and caring, with a gentle attitude and a warm hug. She seemed to have her father already engraved in her mind of what he should be, and was terrified it wouldn't be anything close to what he really was.

"I…I hope he likes me," Umi said quietly.

Katharine hugged her. "Don't worry. He will."

Edward looked around, pretending not to be impressed. "You know, a guy with this much money could probably fudge a few facts without a problem. He'd probably be able to make up some crazy story about how his kid got kidnapped—"

"Don't start," Brystan warned.

Umi gave a whimper, her eyes scared and wet. Edward felt guilt about his cruel joke, and laughed nervously, sweating and scratching the back of his head.

Katharine shot Edward a look.

The front doors were huge. Edward and Alphonse gawked up at them as Brystan rang the doorbell. There was silence for a moment, and then the door slowly opened.

Alphonse grabbed Edward's arms out of reflex as Edward tried to lunge forward at the man who'd answered the door.

"RUSSELL!" Edward screamed angrily, writhing in Alphonse's grip.

The man was indeed the spitting image of Russell Tringam. He had the same narrow silver eyes and medium length blond hair, swept over one eye, giving him a rakish look. He seemed slightly startled to be accosted, but made no movements against the distraught boy.

Alphonse got Edward under control, and apologized to the man. "I'm so sorry. You just look exactly like someone we, uhh, knew."

"He stole my name, that scum!" Edward spazzed angrily. "I'll never forgive the cocky prick! I swore if I saw someone that looked like Russell Tringam, I'd punch him out. Now let me go!"

The man straightened the jacket of his butler uniform, and gave a half-smile. "I'm sorry to say, I don't know anyone by the name of Russell Tringam, and I'm sorry if he upset you. But I assure you, I'm not him."

Alphonse finally managed to calm Edward down, and apologized again. Edward stalked down the front steps angrily, trying to cool off by walking.

The man let Brystan and the others in. He introduced himself as Carlos Sorensen. He took the bags Umi was holding, and led everyone into the foyer. Alphonse ogled at the impressive staircase that arched around and split into two separate paths that connected to the second floor. Carlos stated that he'd inform Mr. St. Claire of their arrival, when they all heard a call at the top of the stairs.

"Umi!"

The girl looked up, and saw a man looking down at her, his face full of relief and joy. He raced down the stairs, and swept Umi up in his arms, hugging and kissing her ecstatically.

When the man finally put Umi down, Brystan hazarded a guess. "Mr. St. Claire, I assume?"

The man looked at Brystan. "Yes. But please, Brystan, call me Raiden."

Alphonse studied Raiden St. Claire carefully. He was surprisingly tall, almost 6 feet, and was slim. He had a strong build on him, but had very effeminate features. His gold eyes were narrow, and bright, constantly studying the faces of those around him. His hair was almost 4 feet long, and shocking white in colour. The purity and vividness of the white was startling, almost like the colour of fresh, pure snow. The tresses hung loose until halfway down his back, and the rest was bound in cloth. The heavy ponytail swung with his movements, almost like the tail on a restless cat.

His clothes were simple and tasteful, consisting of expensive fabrics and rich designs. He had a few pieces of jewellery, all gold—a ring on his left ring finger, a small bangle on his right wrist, and an extravagant clip-and-chain on his left earlobe. He looked no older than mid twenties, but Alphonse was careful not to make assumptions. Umi was, after all, 18.

Raiden caught Brystan's hand, and shook it warmly. "I can't thank you enough for bringing my daughter back to me, Brystan. Words alone cannot describe my gratitude."

Brystan blushed slightly, and gently pulled his hand away. He seemed uncomfortable around the man.

Katharine leaned over slightly, and whispered to Alphonse. "He seems almost flamboyantly gay, doesn't he?" She didn't seem happy saying such a thing.

"Huh?" Alphonse felt confused. The definition for the word gay he was familiar with was obviously not the term Katharine was using. "Well, he does seem kind of excited. But he just got his daughter back. I can't blame him for being happy."

Katharine smiled a tiny smile to herself, and wisely stopped the conversation there.

Raiden embraced Katharine openly and warmly, thanking her profoundly for aiding in Umi's return. While Katharine stammered out that thank weren't necessary, Raiden deftly groped her.

The reaction was quick. Raiden was punched in the back of the head by Brystan, and kneed viciously in the groin by Katharine. The hits were simultaneous, and Raiden collapsed in pain. Alphonse seemed slightly distraught, and stammered a few times.

Raiden shakily stood up, still doubled over in pain, but smiling weakly. "It's all right. I'm sure I deserved that." He laughed weakly, and leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath.

Umi stared at Raiden, a bit taken aback by his outlandish behaviour. She wasn't sure what to do, and hesitantly approached Raiden, nervously stammering if he was okay.

Raiden managed to straighten up, and smiled widely at Umi. "I'm all right, dear. Really, no need to be worried." He tentatively hugged Umi again, being carefully not to scare her or make her uneasy. He stroked her hair soothingly. "I'm sorry. I really am relieved to have you home again."

Umi made a soft purring noise, and hugged Raiden tightly. Whether or not Raiden really was her father, she seemed convinced that he was. She clung to the kindly man now with all her strength, happy to have her father back.

Edward had re-entered the mansion, and was now standing with Alphonse, looking Raiden over. He gave Alphonse a questioning look, as if to ask, "Is he really her father?"

Alphonse shrugged.

Raiden finally disengaged the hug, and told Carlos to take Umi's bags up to her room. Carlos did so, and Raiden turned to face Brystan again, more seriously this time. "Well…you're probably exhausted from your trip. Why don't you stay a bit, and rest up. I insist you stay for dinner, at least."

Brystan cleared his throat. "Uhh, well, I should probably go back to Washington as quickly as possible. I have a very demanding job, after all. I never know where I'll be going next, or when for that matter."

Raiden waved it off. "If that's the case, I have a jet at my disposal. I could take you wherever you need to go. They contact you via your cellphone, don't they?"

Brystan blinked. "Well, I, uhh…that is…"

Raiden clasped his hands together. "Then it's settled. You'll spend the night. I have plenty of guest rooms, so don't be shy. I even have a few with connecting bathrooms."

Brystan choked when Raiden said 'connecting bathrooms', knowing full well what he was hinting at. He looked at Katharine, who looked blankly back at him.

Raiden turned his head to look at Alphonse and Edward, his eyes twinkling a little. "Ahh, these two must be the Elric brothers. I've heard about you two." He extended his hand towards the boys. "It's nice to finally meet you. You must be Alphonse," Raiden said, addressing Alphonse first.

Alphonse looked shocked, and shook his hand. "Yes, sir. I'm Alphonse Elric."

Raiden smiled, and turned to Edward. "And you're Edward, am I right? The older brother." He added the last part not as an afterthought, but as a fact.

Edward refused to shake his hand, but nodded. "Yeah. I'm Edward Elric."

Raiden smiled. "Splendid! Of course, I'm inviting you two to stay here as long as you like. _Mi casa et su casa_."

Brystan arched an eyebrow. "Hold on. I'm the one who's supposed to be looking after those two. And besides, I could never ask you to do such a thing—"

"Nonsense!" Raiden said, cutting Brystan off. "I have plenty of room here, and besides, Umi is rather attached to them. I don't mind having them here at all. In fact, I'm extending the offer to the two of you as well. I'm aware that you don't have permanent residence, Brystan, and I'd feel horrible not letting you stay here."

Brystan adjusted his tie nervously. "Well, that's very generous of you, but it's much more convenient in Washington. And besides, my car is there—"

"Not the car again," Katharine muttered under her breath.

"All easily fixed," Raiden explained. "Your car can be flown here on a transport plane, and like I said, I have a jet at our disposal. Not to mention, several excellent sources of information in the area that would be indispensable for the boy's research."

Brystan looked a tad overwhelmed. He sat down on a nearby chair, and ran his hands through his black hair.

Katharine looked at Brystan, and then at Raiden. "I don't understand why you're doing all of this."

Raiden laughed warmly. "Because. You helped me regain something precious to me. I've been living here alone, save my staff, for eighteen years now. And money doesn't buy happiness. I've been terribly lonely. I need to start living again. And I want you two to become good friends of mine. I hope that's possible."

Katharine looked at Raiden for a moment. "I'm sure he'd need time to think this over. It's all a lot to take in all at once."

"Of course," Raiden said, good-naturedly. "Have dinner, and sleep on it. We'll discuss it more tomorrow.

"And as for my lovely daughter," Raiden continued, focusing on Umi again. "I'd like you to come with me. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Umi smiled happily, and followed Raiden upstairs. Alphonse watched them leave the room, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"He certainly is a strange man," he commented.

"I don't think the term 'strange' quite covers it," Edward replied dryly.

The person Umi was asked to meet was a rather small, short woman with fluffy brunette hair, and large brown eyes by the name of Sylvia Doherty. She wore wire-rimmed glasses, and had a few tiny freckles sprinkled across her cheeks. She seemed very warm and friendly when she smiled. Umi liked her right away.

"Sylvia is my seamstress," Raiden explained. "She sews all my clothes. And I've asked her to sew something for you. A dress, to be exact."

"Really?" Umi asked, surprised. She looked at Raiden with wide, excited eyes. The man smiled kindly.

"Of course! I hope you'll be wearing it at the ball I'm holding next week. A lot of my colleagues will be there. It will be the first function I'll have hosted since you went missing." He gently hugged Umi. "It's going to be very special, I hope."

Umi blushed happily. She'd never been to a party of any kind before, and she was excited. She promised to wear the dress with pride, and Raiden smiled happily. He told Sylvia to do her stuff while he got everyone set up, and left the room.

Sylvia nervously introduced herself properly, and asked Umi what kind of dress she'd like. Umi blushed shyly.

"I…I've never had any really nice clothes before," she explained. "They'd give me some clothes they had around whenever I outgrew or wrecked something. I don't think I've worn a dress in years."

Sylvia was shocked, but smiled again. "It's okay. I'll work from a pattern then. But I'll need your measurements. So I'll need you to take your clothes off. You can keep your undergarments on, of course."

Umi went red in the face, and put her hands over her cheeks. "I…I-I'm sorry…I'm so shy. Of course…" She carefully undressed, folding her clothes neatly, and putting them on a chair. She took her leggings and boots off as well, and was soon standing shyly in her undergarments.

Sylvia carefully took Umi's measurements with her tape measure, and then handed Umi a slip to wear. She thankfully slipped into the thin piece of lingerie, fingering its softness, amazed.

Sylvia held swatches of cloth up to Umi, hemming and hawing over the colours and textures. She held up a swatch of white silk. "White looks nice," she said. "But it might come across as risqué. After all, white is symbolic of weddings." She laughed nervously. She looked at the fabrics again, and held up a piece of pale blue satin. "What about blue, to match your lovely hair?" She smiled, satisfied. "It looks nice. What do you think?"

Umi touched the swatch, her face flushed and happy. She'd never touched anything so rich before. Sylvia smiled wider, despite herself. She walked over to her table, and began unrolling the pale blue satin, measuring how much she'd need. She leafed through a few patterns, frowning. "I'm not sure what pattern to use. "It's really you're choice, after all." She handed Umi a thick book. "Take a peek. If you see a dress you like, tell me, and I'll see if we can do it for you."

Umi leafed through the pages slowly. She saw many interesting dresses she liked, but none really caught her eye. Finally, she saw something she liked. It was a floor-length dress, with long sleeves that ended in ruffles from the elbow down. The neckline was low, but respectable, and the back dipped low. There was a few rows of ruffles at the bottom of the dress as well, accenting it in a simple, yet elegant way. Umi looked up at Sylvia. "What about this one?" she asked.

Sylvia looked at the dress, and smiled. "It's beautiful. This one's in white, but I think light blue would do really well for you. We could modify it a bit. Raiden mentioned a mock corset…"

Umi shook her head. "No, I want this exact dress." She bit her lip. She hadn't meant to sound selfish, but she felt a strong connection to the dress that she couldn't explain. She apologized. "I-I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to sound so selfish…"

Sylvia waved the apology off. "It's no big deal, really. Remember, you're the boss here, not me. If you want that dress, then I'll happily make it for you. And white _does_ look good on you." She smiled, and her warm grin made Umi more at ease.

"Will I look good, do you think?" Umi asked nervously.

Sylvia smiled. "You'll be the bell of the ball."

Edward looked at the ceiling as he lay on the bed. Alphonse was in the bed next to him, unpacking his bags, as little as there was to begin with.

Edward sighed loudly, and Alphonse turned to look at Edward. "What is it, Brother?"

Edward turned his head to look at Alphonse. "I was just doing some thinking. Mostly about what we have to do now."

"You mean, find the sword of Damocles, right?" Alphonse replied.

"Yeah…" Edward said, turning his head to look at the ceiling again. "I mean, how do we even start? I don't even know what we're looking for, really."

Alphonse tapped his chin. "Maybe Raiden knows. He seems to know a little about everything. He even knew you were the older brother. Most people get us confused."

Edward gave Alphonse a look. "You forget you're not a tin can anymore. It's not so hard to tell us apart when you're human, you know."

Alphonse poked Edward playfully. "I kind of miss being mistaken for you, Brother."

"Keep it up, and I'll put you back in that tin can," Edward growled, equally playful. He rolled over, and began tickling Alphonse mercilessly. Alphonse laughed uncontrollably, and tried to fight Edward off. "Stop, Brother! I can't breath anymore!"

"I win!" Edward announced triumphantly, plopping back down on the bed, grinning from ear to ear.

Alphonse smiled breathlessly at Edward. "Yeup. I just can't keep up with you."

Edward frowned a little. "And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Alphonse looked innocent. "Nothing. It's just, you're so energetic all of a sudden. I'm still kind of tired out from the trip."

Edward rolled off the bed, and headed for the door. "I'm going to go have a talk with Brystan," he said suddenly, and opened the door.

Alphonse smiled a little. "I'll finish unpacking then." He knew Edward wanted to talk with Brystan alone, and wisely decided to let them.

Edward smiled at his brother, and closed the door behind him. He walked down the hall, and then down the staircase. He stood in the foyer, utterly lost. He scratched his head, sighing.

"Can I help you?"

Edward jumped at the voice. Carlos had come up behind him silently. Edward cursed under his breath. "I didn't hear you."

"I'm very sneaky-sneaky," Carlos replied, half-jokingly.

"Funny," Edward quipped back, making a face.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Carlos restated his previous question.

"I'm actually looking for Brystan. Seen him?" Edward asked, still looking at Carlos warily. He looked and sounded like Russell, and even acted a bit like him. It unnerved him terribly.

Carlos ignored the look. "I believe I saw Mr. Cabanot in the library. He seemed to be reading."

"Great. Uhh, whereabouts is the library?" Edward asked, feeling stupid.

"I'll show you," Carlos said, ushering Edward through a door. He led Edward through a few halls, and eventually they ended up at a set of oak doors. Carlos opened the door a crack, and motioned for Edward to let himself in. He then left down another hall, leaving Edward alone. He shuttered momentarily, and walked into the library, shutting the door behind him.

The library was huge. It had two floors, and most of the walls were covered in bookshelves. Some of the shelves had wheeled ladders on them to assist in the collection of books. He gaped at the collection in amazement.

There were a few solid maple tables in the middle of the room, along with some comfortable-looking chairs. Brystan was sitting in one of them, silently reading a book. Edward couldn't see the cover, so he had no idea what it was about. He approached Brystan hesitantly.

"Um…Brystan? You busy?"

Brystan turned to look at Edward, and he saw Brystan was wearing small, wire-rimmed glasses that made him look almost like a librarian or a professor of some kind. (A.N.: Brystan + glasses sexy) Edward quickly noted the book was a self-help book on teenagers, and Edward suppressed a giggle.

"No, not at all, Ed. What did you want to talk about?" Brystan put his book down, and looked at Edward warmly.

Edward took a seat, his eyes fixed on Brystan. "I didn't know you wore glasses."

Brystan smiled a little. "Mostly for reading. I'm supposed to wear them when I drive too, but it's too much of a hassle."

Edward nodded understandingly, even though he didn't understand at all. He cleared his throat, and began to say what he had come to say.

"Uhh…I was just thinking…I mean, you're supposed to be taking care of us, right? But if we had a decision about something, you'd let us make it, right?"

"Right," Brystan replied, slowly.

"Well…" Edward paused, not sure of how to continue. "We need to find this sword, so I can get Envy off my arm, and maybe get some answers as to what the hell is going on. But…it could get dangerous, and…I think you should stay out of it." Edward braced himself.

Brystan was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. Then he spoke. "Actually, Ed, I think you need my help more than you realize." He looked at Edward over the rims of his glasses.

"How so?"

"Well, you'll need records on the project that created you two, right? And I can get those for you. Not only that, but you might need classified information, information I might be able to get for you. And on top of that," he smirked a bit. "You'd need a bodyguard."

"How do you figure that?" Edward said angrily.

"You don't know much about the world, much less any of the men after you. I'll admit, you're a good fighter, and could probably hold your own in a skirmish, but let's be honest, Ed. What do you know about the technology of today? I'll bet you wouldn't be able to use a computer, or navigate a highway by yourself. I know there are times even I have trouble doing the simplest stuff. It's a complicated world, Ed. I just want to help." Brystan looked at Edward softly.

Edward was silent for a moment. "Fine. I see your point. But what about the sword then?"

Brystan smirked. "I can help you there too. I had a professor in college who just so happens to be a world-class archaeologist. And, as luck would have it, he lives close by. In Washington state, as a matter of fact. That's just across the border." He smirked triumphantly.

Edward blinked. "You mean, he can tell us about the sword?"

"He'd probably even help you find the thing too, if you asked nice enough," Brystan replied proudly.

Edward hesitated. "What's the catch?" he asked warily.

"No catch," Brystan said. "Of course, I'd appreciate it if you'd let us help you, Ed. That's why we're here. To help you." He squeezed Edward's hand, and smiled. Edward felt his face get warm. He turned his head away, embarrassed.

"So, what's this guy's name?" Edward asked.

"Dr. Virro Conrad. He retired from teaching some years back, and now works full time as an archaeologist. Although I think he should retire soon." Brystan shook his head. "He's got to be pushing sixty by now."

Edward smirked. "So, can you set up a meeting with him?"

Brystan closed his eyes, and steepled his fingers. "I already have. We're scheduled to go down and meet him sometime tomorrow. Raiden agreed to lend us the jet."

Edward felt grudging admiration for Brystan. The man was efficient. Frighteningly so. In that respect, he was eerily like Roy Mustang, and it unnerved Edward even more.

"You scare me, Brystan," Edward said darkly.

Brystan opened his eyes, and smiled. All traces of the Roy-like intensity he'd had a moment earlier vanished, and Brystan's familiar warmth shone through again.

Edward looked over at the books, absently. His eyes caught the word 'Alchemy' and he focused in on the words. He stood up, and walked over, pulling the book from the shelf. The title read, 'The Practical Applications of Modern Alchemy.' He began thumbing through the pages, totally absorbed in the text. Brystan stood up and left, seeing that it would be impossible to pry Edward away from his book once he got right into it.

Edward's eyes darted over the words, growing more and more astonished. The information in the book was familiar. In fact, he realized he'd read the book before.

It was a book from his world.

He threw the book on the table, and grabbed the next book on the shelf. This one was all about alchemy as an apothecary form. He moved onto the next one. It dealt with early attempts to make lead into gold. Book after book he scanned, looking for another familiar piece of writing.

Eventually, Edward came to the end of the Alchemy section, and realized he'd gone through every alchemy book Brystan had. He sat down in the chair by the table heavily, holding his head in one hand, chucking darkly. He couldn't believe his luck.

"I see you made quite a mess of my library," Raiden said softly from the doorway. Edward looked up.

"I…I apologize," he said, looking down at the books on the floor. Raiden chuckled, amused.

"I assume, then, that you found what you were looking for?" Raiden asked, his eyes glittering mischievously.

Edward smirked, and held up 'The Practical Applications of Modern Alchemy'. "Where did you find this book?"

Raiden shrugged. "A garage sale, perhaps. I have a habit of collecting books. I find them all over the world. That one's not particularly familiar."

Edward said nothing, but his face was set in a grim look. Raiden knew something.

"Anyway," Raiden said. "Dinner's ready. You should eat." He waved Edward to follow, and turned to leave.

"Raiden," Edward said.

The man paused. "Yes?"

"What do you know about the Sword of Damocles?"

Raiden paused for a long while. Finally, he spoke. "We'll talk after you eat, Edward. The food is getting cold."

Edward stared at the retreating figure, gritting his teeth.

Raiden asked a barrage of questions during dinner. Everyone answered them, trading stories and jokes. Edward, however, remained more silent. He ate in relative silence, deep in thought. Finally, Alphonse broke through his thoughts.

"Brother? You've been quiet for a while now…are you okay?" Alphonse looked concerned. Edward forced a smile.

"It's fine, Al…really. I'm just thinking about stuff…" He looked at the table.

"You do that a lot lately," Alphonse said quietly.

Umi looked at Edward and sighed sadly. Edward caught her sigh, and looked up. Umi looked apologetically at Edward. Edward smiled a little, and made himself a promise.

_I can't make her cry. Not anymore. When she cries…it's like the sky falls down and crushes the world. I can't stand to see her sad._

Edward grinned for Umi, who smiled back.

Raiden clapped his hands together sharply. "Dessert time!" He called out happily. "Umi-chan made pie!"

Umi blushed, and Edward perked up. _Pie…?!_

"I-It may not be very good…I-I've never made pie before," Umi explained.

"PIE!" Edward cried happily. "I love pie!" He clapped one hand over his mouth, and blushed, wide-eyed. Alphonse giggled.

_I have never done that before…_ Edward thought frantically. _Lousy fanfic writers…_

Umi giggled a little, and then started laughing behind her hand. Edward smiled despite himself.

Edward didn't tell anyone else about the book he'd found. When he pestered Raiden again for information, he finally told him about an old document he had that said something about both the spear and the sword. He promised to photocopy it, and have it for Edward by the next day.

Edward slept fitfully. Ghosts of his past haunted the little sleep he had, clawing at him, angry that they could not move on. He woke up screaming, drenched in sweat.

Alphonse murmured in his sleep, and rolled over. Edward panted, trying to catch his breath.

He stood up, and walked onto the balcony. The cool breeze helped him calm down a little, and he stared up into the velvet sky, amazed by the clear night.

"Can't sleep?" a soft voice asked from beside him. Edward turned his head, and saw Umi standing on a balcony next to his.

Edward blushed a little at Umi's nightgown, but nodded to say he had heard. "Y-yeah…nightmares."

Umi softly climbed onto the railing of her balcony, and leapt gracefully across the small gap to Edward's balcony. Edward stammered that it was dangerous, but she landed without injury. She approached Edward shyly, hugging her shawl tighter around her subconsciously.

"Maybe…maybe we can talk a little then. Just until we can sleep." Umi looked at Edward shyly.

Edward felt at ease with Umi. It seemed as if her very presence soothed his soul. He felt drawn to her, but he wasn't sure why.

"Umi…are you happy here?" Edward asked.

Umi looked startled, but nodded. "Everyone here is so nice, and they're so patient with me. And Raiden's a little strange, but he's really sweet." Umi looked up at Edward. "There's going to be a ball next week," Umi went on. "I-I have…never been to a party or anything before. Will…will you come with me…please?" She looked embarrassed to be asking such a thing.

Edward smiled. He wasn't one for functions, and he couldn't dance, but she looked so shy…he nodded, and said he would. "But I'm a terrible dancer," he pointed out.

Umi giggled a little, and even in the dark, Edward could see her cheeks get a little pink. She turned away, putting her hands over her cheeks. He felt a realization dawn on him. _She likes me…That's bad. I don't feel the same way about her…_ He looked at his hands. _I don't know _how_ I feel about her at all…_

He gave a sad sigh to himself. He still had no idea why, but it felt like something wasn't right. And every passing moment made him feel more and more like he was missing something important.

Umi sighed. "I'm sorry…I realize I've been less than proper for a while now."

"Huh?" Edward asked, puzzled.

"I mean…that I've been a terrible host." She looked at Edward shyly again. "But…I think that soon, things will look better." She smiled at Edward warmly.

Edward paused a beat. "Well, sleep well, then." He felt bad for ending the conversation, but he really didn't have anything else to say.

"You too," Umi said quietly. She turned back to the railing, and Edward offered her his hand this time. She took it, and he helped her back over to her landing without trouble. She turned to look back at Edward before she walked back into her bedroom. "I have this feeling…that something's going to happen tomorrow. I think…you'll find something helpful. That's what I think." She smiled.

Edward grinned. "I sure hope so."

Brystan drove the two of them the entire distance the next day. Edward slept through a lot of it. Brystan was just glad to have his car back. He had rolled the windows down, and had one elbow out the window most of the trip, enjoying the wind.

Edward watched Kent come into view. The entire trip, plus customs, had been about 3 hours. Edward found it mildly amusing to watch Brystan go through the toll, but otherwise, it had been boring. The most he'd seen was trees and some cows and stuff.

He made a face. There was just something about cows that made him a little uneasy. Something about deadlines, for some strange reason.

Kent had a quaint suburb district, and Brystan was able to find Virro's house with little difficulty. He pulled into the driveway of the small, Victorian-style house, and killed the motor. He looked at Edward before he opened the door.

"Ed, I want you to remember, this person is a friend of mine, so please treat him respect." He was serious, and his voice was low.

Edward blinked. "Yeah, sure. No problem."

Brystan opened his door, satisfied that Edward would behave himself. He walked up to the door, straightening his tie, as if nervous. Edward smirked.

"Want me to knock?" he asked.

Brystan was startled. "Uhh…no. I'm fine. Really." He seemed defensive.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Oh, just knock already."

"Okay! Sheesh!" Brystan paused a beat before knocking hesitantly on the door.

"You're really nervous today," Edward muttered.

"I have to be honest…" Brystan confessed. "I haven't seen him since collage. That's at least 10 years."

Edward laughed. "You're lame."

Brystan sighed. "Yeah…"

The door opened, and Brystan lurched to a stiff stance. Edward couldn't see around the doorframe, so he waited patiently.

"Brystan…is that you?" Edward's ears perked. He'd heard that voice before…

"Yes, it's me. Sorry, I should have called before we got here…"

"Nonsense!" Virro said, for it was obviously him. "Get inside, and I'll make you some coffee."

"Great…" Brystan said, obviously relieved. He stepped inside, and Edward slowly followed him up the stairs, and inside as well. Virro had disappeared from view, so he shut the door behind him, and took off his boots. Brystan was hanging up his jacket, when Virro came around the corner. "Living room's over here…why don't you have a seat and rest?"

Edward looked up, and his eyes got very wide. "You!" he blurted, pointing inadvertently. He really hadn't meant to react in such a way, but he had reacted without thinking.

Virro was the spitting image of Maes Hughes, right down to his wire-rimmed glasses. He was older than Hughes, however, and had broad stripes of grey in his hair. He looked at Edward, a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Who do I remind you of?" he asked curiously.

Edward recovered himself. "I…I'm sorry…that was rude of me." He looked sheepish. "You just look like an old friend I had. His name was Maes Hughes."

Brystan remembered the name, and realized whom Edward was talking about. His face fell inadvertently.

Virro was interested. "You say had. Have you lost contact?"

Edward tried not to look too upset. "No…he was murdered…"

Virro reacted. "Oh…I'm terribly sorry. I had no idea." He seemed upset. "It's just…I always get people saying they know me from somewhere. I just assumed maybe they were mistaking me for your friend."

Edward shook his head. "No, it wouldn't be possible."

Virro blinked. "Oh?"

Edward didn't reply. Brystan cleared his throat.

"Uhh…Virro…I'd like you to meet someone. This is Edward Elric…the person I told you about over the phone." Brystan smiled weakly.

Virro smiled, and offered his hand to Edward. "Well, it's a pleasure Mr. Elric."

Edward took Virro's hand. "Likewise, Dr. Conrad."

Virro grinned. "Well, now that that's taken care of, let me get you two some coffee, and we can talk."

Edward nodded, and followed the others into the living room. He had a seat on the couch, and Brystan look one of the chairs. Virro stepped into the kitchen, which was connected to the living room, to get coffee. He talked to them over his shoulder.

"So, Ed, Brystan tells me you're looking for the Sword of Damocles," Edward could hear Virro smile as he talked. "That's a pretty big item you're looking for."

"So, have I come to the right man then?" Edward asked.

Virro chuckled. "I certainly hope so. An item like that would bring enough notoriety to make the finder famous. I don't think many would turn down the offer. One sugar or two?"

"Two, please," Edward said.

"The problem lies with finding the right person for the job. They'd have to be a first-class rune explorer, and of course, trustworthy. Cream?"

"No, thanks," Edward replied. He hated milk.

Virro walked back into the living room, the cups on a tray. He set it down on the table, and handed everyone their coffee. "Anyway, I have a lot of experience for this sort of thing."

"Oh, really?" Edward tentatively took a sip of his coffee.

"Had a lot of field work, I see," Brystan said, pointedly.

Virro smirked. "Here and there. With this kind of item, it's mostly in the bookwork."

Edward was curious. "What would you be looking for?"

"Old books, any written documents that may hold clues, that sort of thing." Virro sipped his coffee. "It's rather tedious."

Edward put the documents Raiden had given him on the table. "Would these help any?"

Virro picked them up, and looked them over. He looked excited.

"Where did you get these?"

"The person I'm staying with had them in his personal collection. He photocopied them for me." Edward felt the corner of his mouth tug up.

"Son of a…" Virro was grinning. "This could be just what I need."

Brystan was smiling. "Well, that's good news."

Virro put the papers down. "Anyway, what I'd really like to know is why you need this item in the first place."

Edward squirmed nervously. "Uhh…well, you see…"

Brystan coughed. "Uhh, maybe we should—"

"It's okay," Edward said, sighing. "He deserves to know. I mean, dishonesty isn't going to help us here." He carefully took the glove off his right arm, revealing the bracelet embedded in his arm.

Virro was astonished. "What on earth…? That can't be possible." He carefully took Edward's arm, and looked at it closer. "Oh my…It is really buried in your arm. That can't be…" He shook his head.

Edward shook his head slowly. "The only way to get it out is with the sword. That's why I need to find it." He carefully slid the glove back on.

Virro ran a hand through his hair. "What about surgically? Or…"

"Come on, Virro. You know as well as I do what the answer to that is," Brystan said edgily. "They'd start picking him apart like a science project."

Virro sighed. "I think I need an explanation. From the beginning." He sat down, his face grim.

Edward sighed. He started from the beginning, and told Virro the whole story. By the end of it, he was sitting there, stunned.

"Brystan…we both know the government has to be in on this somehow…" Virro was very grim.

Brystan was quiet. "I know," he replied. "That's why I can't go to them for help. I have to go behind their backs."

Edward couldn't believe it. "You're telling me the very people you work for could be responsible?"

Brystan nodded. "It wouldn't be a new concept."

"Unbelievable…" Edward muttered, running his hand through his bangs.

"Anyway," Virro said. "I'll do what I can here. There are a few good resources here, so I'm sure I'll be able to get a good lead going before too long. I'll make sure to keep you posted."

Edward nodded. "We'll keep you up-to-date with whatever we find as well."

"I'll be busy scouring the government's files for anything I can find," Brystan said. "Hopefully, if things go well, I'll have something within a few days."

"Great," Virro said. His pager suddenly went off with a loud beeping, and he checked it. He sighed.

"Apparently, they need me at the site. I hate to cut this short, but I have to go to work." He stood up. "But I hope we can get together again soon."

"Agreed," Edward said. Him and Brystan got their things, and walked to the car. Virro was out in a few minutes, sporting a felt fedora, and an old pilot's jacket. Brystan made a face.

"Oh hell no. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Virro grinned. "Makes me feel a little more professional."

Brystan sighed. "And how does ripping off Indiana Jones's look do that, pray tell?"

Virro shrugged. "Hey, you only live once. May as well make the most of it."

"You're nuts," Brystan said flatly.

"You're too much of a linear thinker," Virro countered.

"Tell me you don't pack a pistol and a whip?" Brystan sounded hopeful.

"Of course not." Virro laughed. "But I wish I could."

Brystan made a disgusted noise, and got into the car. Virro tapped on his door, and Brystan looked up.

"How's Katharine?" Virro was serious again.

"She's fine." Brystan seemed happy to be talking about something else.

"That's good," Virro said, then paused before he said, "So, when's the wedding?"

"I'll see you later," Brystan said irritably. He rolled up his window.

Edward broke out in peals of hysterical laughter.

Edward was thankful to get back. He was tired, and a little sore from sitting so long, and he was getting pretty hungry. He even smiled a little when Dominick said hello.

Carlos was waiting for Edward when he and Brystan entered. He growled a low, threatening growl in his direction, and began walking to the kitchen. Carlos caught up to him, and cleared his throat.

"What?" Edward asked shortly.

"There's someone here to see you," Carlos explained. "He refused to come inside, even when I insisted. He said that he'd wait in the gardens. He seemed to be quite familiar with you…" Carlos seemed troubled. "Mr. Cabanot, you don't have any siblings, do you?"

Brystan looked puzzled. "No. Why?"

Carlos looked even more disturbed. "I'm sorry. It's nothing."

Edward had a feeling in his stomach. Something was bothering him, and it was only getting worse. He ran past Carlos, and out the back French doors towards the gardens.

The hedges here had been trimmed into large imposing walls. The centre was a large fountain, and a massive tiled sitting area. Standing by the fountain with his back to Edward was a tall man with dark hair. He wore a long dark jacket that came past his knees. Edward looked down at the man's boots, and felt his throat close.

_It can't be…it's not possible…_

The man turned at the sound of Edward's slowing footsteps. A large eye patch covered his left eye, so he turned around to see Edward.

There was no mistaking it now. Edward stared, wide-eyed.

"_Taisa_…"

Next Chapter: _Things flow in one direction. To go against the ebb would mean severe reproductions. To suffer needlessly in the name of a madman is something I cannot bear to see. You were so proud once, Taisa…what happened to you?_


End file.
